SC hears plea for commuting sentences
Monday, 25 January 2010
The Supreme Court Sunday once more heard a defence plea for commuting death penalties for the 1975 murder of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, during the first day hearing of review petitions by five death-row convicts in the case, reports bdnews24.com.
A special four-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Md Tafazzul Islam, adjourned proceedings to today (Monday) after a three-hour hearing from 9.30am.
The bench heard from Abdullah Al Mamun, counsel for convicts Bazlul Huda and AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, during the hearing.
Mamun appealed for review of the appeal court's judgment last November, which upheld death penalties of the convicted killers, on seven points.
On one of the points, Mamun argued that an indemnity ordinance regarding the 1975 killing was suspended in 1996 "but still remains in force, meaning its efficacy was not withdrawn".
The court replied: "Since we have given our verdict there is nothing to say new about it."
Mamun also appealed to the court to commute the death penalties of his clients considering their age. "My clients are old. They have been languishing in the condemned cell for many years. They are suffering mental torture there," he said.
After Mamun's arguments, Khan Saifur Rahman, lawyer for convicts Syed Faruk Rahman and Mohiuddin Ahmed, and Abdur Rezzak, lawyer for Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, moved for adjournment of the hearing for one week.
But the court rejected their plea and set Monday for the next hearing.
A special four-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Md Tafazzul Islam, adjourned proceedings to today (Monday) after a three-hour hearing from 9.30am.
The bench heard from Abdullah Al Mamun, counsel for convicts Bazlul Huda and AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed, during the hearing.
Mamun appealed for review of the appeal court's judgment last November, which upheld death penalties of the convicted killers, on seven points.
On one of the points, Mamun argued that an indemnity ordinance regarding the 1975 killing was suspended in 1996 "but still remains in force, meaning its efficacy was not withdrawn".
The court replied: "Since we have given our verdict there is nothing to say new about it."
Mamun also appealed to the court to commute the death penalties of his clients considering their age. "My clients are old. They have been languishing in the condemned cell for many years. They are suffering mental torture there," he said.
After Mamun's arguments, Khan Saifur Rahman, lawyer for convicts Syed Faruk Rahman and Mohiuddin Ahmed, and Abdur Rezzak, lawyer for Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, moved for adjournment of the hearing for one week.
But the court rejected their plea and set Monday for the next hearing.