The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Tuesday awarded capital punishment to two absconding army personnel in connection with the much talked about jail killing case. The two fugitives are dafadar Marfat Ali Shah and dafadar Abdul Hashem Mridha. The HC had acquitted them of the charge. With this, three army personnel have been given capital punishment. Earlier, risalder (retd) Muslemuddin was given the death sentence.
The six-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain, delivered the verdict after turning down the High Court’s judgment in the case. In its order, the apex court said the allegations brought against the convicts have been proved beyond reasonable doubt. They were alleged to have been involved in the conspiracy to kill four national leaders inside Dhaka Central Jail.
The Supreme Court upheld the trial court’s judgment which had convicted and sentenced the three army personnel to death and handed down life imprisonment to 12 others, of which eight are now on the run and four have already been executed in the Bangabandhu assassination case.
The eight fugitives are: Lt. Col. (dismissed) Khondaker Abdur Rashid, Lt. Col. (relieved) Shariful Haq Dalim, Lt. Col. (retd) SHMB Noor Chowdhury, Lt. Col. (retd) AM Rashed Chowdhury, Maj. (relieved) Ahmed Shariful Hossain, Capt. (retd) Abdul Majed, Capt. (relieved) Kismat Hasem and Capt. (relieved) Nazmul Hossain.
The four executed are: Lt. Col. (dismissed) Syed Farooq-ur Rahman, Lt. Col. (retd) Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Maj. (retd) Bazlul Huda and Maj. (Retd) AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed.
After the apex court’s verdict, advocate Anisul Huq, chief state counsel in the case, told reporters that the court has granted the government’s appeal in the case. The trial of the killing of four national leaders has finally ended following the apex court’s verdict, he added. Expressing satisfaction over the verdict, Anisul said the apex court has delivered a “historic verdict”.
“All the convicts are now on the run. The government should execute the apex court verdict after bringing them back to Bangladesh. It should trace the convicts and execute the Supreme Court’s order to ensure justice for the bereaved families,” he noted.
During the hearing, Anisul told the court that the conspiracy to kill the four national leaders was hatched at Bangababhan, but the gruesome killings took place inside the central jail.
The national leaders — Syed Nazrul Islam, Tajuddin Ahmed, AQM Qamruzzaman and Mohammad Monsoor Ali — were brutally killed on November 3, 1975, inside the Dhaka Central Jail.
Anisul also termed the HC verdict as “distorted” and “incorrect” as it awarded capital punishment only to risaldar (retd) Muslemuddin, though several prosecution witnesses had made the same allegation against more people.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters that this verdict will set an example in establishing the rule of law in the country.
Former home minister Md Nasim, MP, son of Mohammad Monsoor Ali, and Simin Hossen Rimi, daughter of Tajuddin Ahmed, were present when the apex court delivered its verdict. They expressed satisfaction after hearing verdict.
“We want immediate execution of the apex court’s verdict in the case,” Nasim said.
“The verdict has made me happy. It has unearthed the conspiracy and awarded capital punishment to the conspirators,” she added.
She expressed hope that such incidents would not take place in the country following the apex court’s verdict.
Advocate Anisul Huq and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam appeared for the government, while state appointed defence counsel barrister Abdulla Al-Mamun appeared for the convicts.
-With The Independent input
