HC delivers 10 verdicts in one month

The High Court has delivered 10 verdicts over the past month after giving priority to the hearing of death references and appeals in cases filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.

Following several brutal incidents of violence against women and children across the country, Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury constituted a special High Court bench on June 10 to exclusively hear death reference cases and appeals under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act on a priority basis.

A special prosecution team was also formed to conduct the cases before the bench.

The team, led by Attorney General Barrister Md. Ruhul Quddus Kajol, includes Deputy Attorneys General Mohammad Imam Hossain Tarek and Syed Ejaz Kabir, along with Assistant Attorneys General Mahbuba Tasnim Akhi, Mustafizur Rahman Mukul, Ashraful Alam, Rohani Siddika and Al Amin Siddiki.

The High Court Division bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabarty and Justice K.M. Rasheduzzaman Raja listed 20 death reference and appeal cases for hearing.

Following hearings over the past month, the bench delivered verdicts in 10 cases, including the rape and murder of schoolgirl Rima in Shariatpur, the Jharna murder case in Pirojpur, and several cases involving the murder of wives.

Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Imam Hossain Tarek, who represents the state before the bench, said that from June 14-the bench’s first working day-until July 15, a total of 10 verdicts had been delivered.

“Delivering verdicts in so many death reference cases within just one month is certainly unprecedented.

Following the instructions of Attorney General Barrister Md. Ruhul Quddus Kajol, we, on behalf of the state, did not seek any adjournments or time petitions in these cases.

At the same time, the court remained committed to disposing of the cases expeditiously, making it possible to deliver the judgments so quickly,” he said.

Meanwhile, the death reference in the rape and murder case of eight-year-old Ramisa in Pallabi, Dhaka, came before the special bench on June 16.

The court then directed the appointment of state defence lawyers for death-row convict Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Akter.

The bench also has on its hearing list the murder case of Sonagazi madrasa student Nusrat in Feni and the rape and murder case of eight-year-old Achia in Magura.

Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Imam Hossain Tarek said the hearings in these cases are expected to begin within the next two weeks.

Under Section 374 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, every death sentence awarded by a trial court requires confirmation by the High Court before it can be executed.

For this purpose, the trial court’s judgment and all relevant case records are forwarded to the High Court as a death reference.

The High Court then hears the death reference together with the convicted person’s appeal or jail appeal before delivering its final verdict.