BANGLADESH: SC LETS DEATH ROW PRISONERS APPEAL

the Bangladeshi Supreme Court granted applications by the condemned prisoners in the Bangabandhu murder case to appeal against their death sentences. A three member Appellate Division bench, headed by Justice M Tafazzal Islam, passed the order and asked the petitioners to file a regular appeal by October 30. The court also extended its stay on the execution of the death sentences until October 30. The condemned petitioners are Lt Col Syed Farooq Rahman, Lt Col Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Lt Col Muhiuddin Ahmed, Lt Col AKM Mahiuddin Ahmed and Major Bazlul Huda. Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with most of his family members on August 15, 1975. A case was filed after two decades on October 2, 1996. On November 8, 1998, a trial court awarded death sentences to 15 retired and dismissed army personnel for the carnage. The High Court also upheld the capital punishment of 12 army men. Of them, five are now in jail, one died and the rest are still at large.