The High Court yesterday said forcing a confessional statement out of accused was "unfortunate for the country".

"We don't still know whether confessional statement was taken forcibly from accused, a minor boy, in his younger brother's murder case in Bogura. If the allegation of taking confessional statement in connection with this case is true, it is very unfortunate for the country," said the HC bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Md Atoar Rahman.

The bench made the observation during the hearing on a criminal revision petition filed challenging the legality of the trial proceedings at the Juvenile Court in Bogura, in connection with the case where an underage boy was accused of murdering his eight-year-old brother.

The HC bench asked the state counsel to look into the allegation and fixed June 29 for further hearing of the petition.

 During yesterday's hearing, petitioners' lawyer Mohammad Shishir Manir told the HC bench that a father in Bogura has lost his eight-year-old son, but his another son aged 12 has been implicated in the murder case.

The father and his family have been compelled to leave their home, he said.

The lawyer said the 12-year-old boy was tortured and forced to give confessional statement, but the juvenile court concerned in Bogura has not taken any legal steps to this effect although there is a law in this regard.

He added that his clients have submitted this criminal revision petition to the HC for necessary directives on the authorities concerned to conduct a fair inquiry into the incident.

Deputy Attorney General Md Bashir Ullah opposed the criminal revision petition saying that the petitioners could have sought necessary directives through a writ petition.

Five Supreme Court lawyers -- Ahammed Abdullah Khan, Md Zahirul Islam, Md Mustafizur Rahman, Md Zobaidur Rahman and Imrul Kayes -- jointly filed the criminal revision petition as a public interest litigation before the HC on Sunday challenging the legality of the trial proceedings at the Juvenile Court in Bogura.

Lawyer Shishir placed the petition before the HC bench along with a copy of The Daily Star report on the matter, as well as its video report, as supportive documents.

In the petition, the petitioners prayed to the HC bench to summon case documents from the juvenile court and take necessary steps to give remedy for the "gross injustice".

On June 11, The Daily Star published a report titled "Bearing the unbearable", and a follow-up video about the ordeal of the family.

On August 25, 2015, the body of eight-year-old was found in a jute field in Bogura's Katakhali. A day later, the father filed a case with Sariakandi Police Station.