death penalty news
June 3, 2004
BANGLADESH:
166 given death penalty in speedy trial tribunal
After formation of Speedy Trial Tribunals by the present government, a
total of 336 cases were disposed of while 166 persons were sentenced to
death in these cases. Law, Justice and Parliament Affairs Minister
Barrister Moudud Ahmed said this while addressing a seminar on 'NGOs role
in creating mass awareness about different aspects of laws' at CIRDAP
auditorium here on Thursday.
Speaking as the chief guest at the daylong seminar, organized by Bangladesh
Law Association under the Legal and Judicial Capacity Building Project,
Moudud Ahmed said conviction rate in the cases under speedy trial tribunal
is over 70 percent.
Resident representative of World Bank in Dhaka, Cristina Wallace was
present as the special guest at the seminar chaired by president of the
association Aminur Rashid Khan.
Referring to the sensational Trisha Murder Case, the minister said it was
deposed of within two and a half months, which is a rare example to dispose
of such a case within a so short time.
"The positive aspects of Speedy Trial Tribunal have already started
impacting other courts across the country," Moudud Ahmed observed.
Describing different aspects of law reforms of the present government, the
minister said a total of 10,000 poor people were given legal aid service
while 3,000 cases were disposed of through alternate arbitration system
without going to court.
Narrating success of the 'Artha Rin Adalat', Moudud Ahmed said that about
700 crore outstanding loans were recovered after its speedy reform.
Christina Wallich said people, especially poor, would be harassed and
victimized if we couldn't create awareness among them (people) about
different aspects of laws.
Terming it as a global challenge, she urged the NGOs to come forward side
by side with the government to create awareness among the people in this
regard.
(source: The New Nation, Bangladesh)
