Court Correspondent :
The High Court of the Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the prosecution to appoint state defence counsels for five absconding death sentenced convicts in the seven-murder cases.
The solicitor wing of the Law Ministry has been directed to appoint state defence lawyers within a week. The bench of Justice Jahangir Hossain Selim and Justice Md Jahangir Hossain passed the order while dealing with the death reference, and appeals filed by the arrested convicts in the case. However, the court is yet to fix any date for holding hearing on the death reference and appeals of the cases. The five fugitive death sentenced convicts are Md Mohiuddin Munshi, Al Amin Sharif, Md Tajul Islam, Md Sanaullah alias Sana and Shahjahan. The paper books of the Narayanganj seven-murder cases reached the High Court on May 7 from the Bangladesh Government Press for hearing on death references and appeals. The book is necessary for the court to hear and dispose of a death reference or an appeal. On January 16, the District and Sessions Judge’s Court of Narayanganj convicted 35 people, including 25 former RAB officials and expelled ruling Awami League man Nur Hossain, for abduction and murder of seven people and destroying evidence in April 2014. The court awarded death penalty to 26 people, including 16 former RAB men, and imprisoned nine others for various terms.
Seven people, including Narayanganj City Corporation Councilor Nazrul Islam and senior lawyer Chandan Sarker, were abducted from the Dhaka-Narayanganj Link Road on April 27, 2014. Later, their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya river.
