Sept. 19
BANGLADESH:
234 get death penalty in 81 sensational murder cases
A total of 234 people were sentenced to death in 81 sensational murder
cases. They were disposed of in about 2 1/2 years out of 284 cases listed
with the monitoring cell constituted under the Home Ministry, reports BSS.
The home ministry's monitoring cell had listed these cases for quick
disposal by the speedy trial tribunals introduced on April 23, 2002. Some
284 cases were filed against 866 people.
The tribunals also sentenced 243 people to life imprisonment, 65 to
different terms and fined 329, home ministry sources said.
In 81 cases, the courts acquitted 308 people, as charges brought against
them were not proved. Of the rest 203 cases, 58 are now under
investigation, and 110 are under trial.
This was disclosed at the 46th meeting of the monitoring cell held with
State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfuzzaman Babar in the chair.
Talking to reporters, Babar said the government has taken up a plan to
build a high security cell at Kasimpur in Gazipur district for keeping 450
death row convicts.
He said 10 cases were placed for discussion in today's (Sunday) meeting
that reviewed the progress of 7 more new cases.
The seven new cases are: Jahanara Begum murder at Ramjibanpur, Shatkhira,
triple murder of a family in Bramanbaria, businessman Haji Shahidullah
murder at Mirpur in Dhaka, former teacher Kazi Suhin Nahar murder at
Dhanmondi in Dhaka, Venus Jewelers theft case at Navana Shopping Complex
at Gulshan in Dhaka, Indian national Mazid Alam murder at Banani in Dhaka,
and the murder case of eleven members of a family burnt alive in
Chittagong.
The state minister asked the concerned officials of the cases to take
speedy measures to investigate the incidents. He enquired about the
condition of the cases from the investigation officers and gave them
necessary directions to submit charge sheets for quick disposal of the
cases.
The main objective of the monitoring cell is to discuss different
procedural matters for quick disposal of the cases and identify obstacles
to quick investigation, attendance of witnesses and timely reporting of
the investigation officers at the courts.
The meeting decided to form a fund of Tk 5 million to meet the
expenditures of the witnesses of different important sensational cases in
speedy trial tribunals.
The government has already formed separate monitoring cells at the
district level headed by the respective deputy commissioners to
decentralize the activities of the monitoring cell.
Cabinet, Home, Establishment and Law Secretaries, Additional Inspector
General of Police (CID), Additional Attorney General and other concerned
officials were present during the meeting.
(source: The Financial Express)
