Initiatives underway for retrial of case
Wednesday, 3 November 2010
The government has taken an initiative for retrial of the 1975 jail killings when four independence leaders were killed in captivity inside Dhaka Central Jail.
"I have requested the attorney general to mention the already filed writ in the apex court (Appellate Division) for hearing . . . I believe there is a prospect of exposing to justice the culprits who escaped punishment," Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed told BSS.
His comments came as the nation is set to commemorate the liberation war time acting President Syed Nazrul Islam, Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed and ministers Captain Mansur Ali and AHM Qamaruzzaman marking their 35th death anniversary.
But virtually none of the killers could so far be exposed to justice under the case despite the trial for the gruesome killing of the four leaders.
The High Court (HC) in August, 2008 confirmed the death penalty of only one sacked junior commissioned officer of army fugitive risaldar Muslemuddin and life imprisonment of seven others but acquitted two others who were earlier handed down the capital punishment for the gruesome 1975 jail massacre.
The HC also acquitted four others sentenced to life imprisonment earlier by the trial court in 2004, while most of them were tried in absentia as they are on the run.
The four accused of the case sacked lieutenant colonels Syed Faruque Rahman, AKM Mohiuddin, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan and sacked major Bazlul Huda, however, have already been executed in connection with the Bangabandhu Murder Trial.
The metropolitan Sessions Judge's court in October, 2004 originally sentenced to death three fugitive former military personnel and life term to 12 others for the November 3, 1975 jail massacre, staged nearly three months after Bangabandhu's assassination along with most of his family members. The trial court at that time acquitted four politicians and another former military officer.
"I have requested the attorney general to mention the already filed writ in the apex court (Appellate Division) for hearing . . . I believe there is a prospect of exposing to justice the culprits who escaped punishment," Law Minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed told BSS.
His comments came as the nation is set to commemorate the liberation war time acting President Syed Nazrul Islam, Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmed and ministers Captain Mansur Ali and AHM Qamaruzzaman marking their 35th death anniversary.
But virtually none of the killers could so far be exposed to justice under the case despite the trial for the gruesome killing of the four leaders.
The High Court (HC) in August, 2008 confirmed the death penalty of only one sacked junior commissioned officer of army fugitive risaldar Muslemuddin and life imprisonment of seven others but acquitted two others who were earlier handed down the capital punishment for the gruesome 1975 jail massacre.
The HC also acquitted four others sentenced to life imprisonment earlier by the trial court in 2004, while most of them were tried in absentia as they are on the run.
The four accused of the case sacked lieutenant colonels Syed Faruque Rahman, AKM Mohiuddin, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan and sacked major Bazlul Huda, however, have already been executed in connection with the Bangabandhu Murder Trial.
The metropolitan Sessions Judge's court in October, 2004 originally sentenced to death three fugitive former military personnel and life term to 12 others for the November 3, 1975 jail massacre, staged nearly three months after Bangabandhu's assassination along with most of his family members. The trial court at that time acquitted four politicians and another former military officer.