M Faruque Hossain :A total of 53 death references and appeals of militants have been pending for long before the Supreme Court. These were not disposed of because the prosecution did not take any steps in this regard, officials and lawyers said.According to sources in the Supreme Court and Police Headquarters, trial courts have handed down death sentences to 62 militants in the past 10 years. Six of them have been executed, while trial proceedings of three have been completed and they would be executed anytime. And the rest 53 militants’ death references and appeals have been pending before the apex court.On the other hand, death references and appeals in Udichi bomb blast and August 21 grenade attack cases are also pending before the High Court and the Supreme Court. All death-row convicts are in jail. But those sentenced for various terms, including life, are out of jail after securing bail from courts.Talking to The New Nation, Additional Registrar of the Supreme Court Sabbir Foyez said they are preparing a list of cases relating to Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJi) men that are pending before the High Court and the Supreme Court.According to sources, the Ramna Batamul bombing attack case is now pending before the High Court. Ten people were killed after a bomb exploded during cultural troupe Chhayanaut’s programme at the capital’s Ramna Batamul on the morning of April 14, 2001.Harkat-ul-Jihad (HuJi) top leader Mufti Abdul Hannan and 13 other militants were accused in the murder case filed over the bomb attack. On June 23, 2014, a Dhaka court sentenced to death eight of the accused and gave life imprisonment to six others.The appeal of five HuJi militants for the assassination attempt on former British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury in 2004 is pending before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court. The case of bomb attack at the Udichi office in Netrokona is pending before the High Court, sources said.Six militants, including Sheikh Abdur Rahman, were hanged following completion of trial proceedings of a case filed for blasting a bomb at the Jhalakathi court in 2005. The three death-row convicts — Asadul Islam alias Arif was convicted in the Jhalakathi bomb blast case, Akhtaruzaman was convicted in the Sylhet court bomb blast case and HM Masudur Rahman was sentenced in the Lakshmipur court bomb blast case. They could be executed anytime.
