SC to decide Bangabandhu killers' fate today
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
Country's apex court will pronounce today (Wednesday) its order on the review petitions filed by five former army officers now on death row for killing Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and members of his family, reports UNB.
The Appellate Division bench of the Supreme Court dealing with the review petitions submitted by the five concluded the hearings Tuesday and set Wednesday for the crucial order.
Chief Justice M Tafazzul Islam, who heads the four-member bench, announced the date for pronouncing the verdict after closing the hearings from both sides that took three consecutive days.
Earlier, Chief State Counsel Anisul Huq, after getting floor from the defence lawyers, opposed the petitions for seeking review of the conclusive judgment that had reaffirmed the death sentence on a dozen ex-army officers for the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most members of his family on August 15, 1975.
"There is no scope for considering the defence grounds for review as those didn't fulfil the requirement of the set Supreme Court rules as well as the constitution," Anis said in his argument.
He pointed out that none of the defence lawyers pinned down an error apparent on the face of the record in the criminal proceedings of the Bangabandhu murder case.
"Where is the ground of a discovery of fresh evidence, one of the ingredients of review, which can change their fate?" the state counsel posed a question.
Anis told the court that the defence lawyers left no legal instrument unapplied during the whole trial process since the charges were framed against their clients 12 years ago.
"In no way the legal rights of the defence lawyers were cut as of today (Tuesday)," he contended.
The Appellate Division bench of the Supreme Court dealing with the review petitions submitted by the five concluded the hearings Tuesday and set Wednesday for the crucial order.
Chief Justice M Tafazzul Islam, who heads the four-member bench, announced the date for pronouncing the verdict after closing the hearings from both sides that took three consecutive days.
Earlier, Chief State Counsel Anisul Huq, after getting floor from the defence lawyers, opposed the petitions for seeking review of the conclusive judgment that had reaffirmed the death sentence on a dozen ex-army officers for the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and most members of his family on August 15, 1975.
"There is no scope for considering the defence grounds for review as those didn't fulfil the requirement of the set Supreme Court rules as well as the constitution," Anis said in his argument.
He pointed out that none of the defence lawyers pinned down an error apparent on the face of the record in the criminal proceedings of the Bangabandhu murder case.
"Where is the ground of a discovery of fresh evidence, one of the ingredients of review, which can change their fate?" the state counsel posed a question.
Anis told the court that the defence lawyers left no legal instrument unapplied during the whole trial process since the charges were framed against their clients 12 years ago.
"In no way the legal rights of the defence lawyers were cut as of today (Tuesday)," he contended.