Appoint defence counsel for absconding 7-murder convicts, HC to govt

The High Court today directed the government to appoint the state defence counsel for five absconding death-row convicts of the sensational Narayanganj seven-murder cases.

The solicitor wing of the law ministry has been asked to hire the state defence lawyer within seven days.

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 this case.

The judges, however, did not specifically say the solicitor wing will recruit one or multiple lawyers for the absconding convicts.  

The court did not fix any date for holding hearing on the death reference and appeals of the cases.

The five fugitive death-row convicts of the cases are—Md Mohiuddin Munshi, Al Amin Sharif, Md Tajul Islam, Md Sanaullah alias Sana and Shahjahan, court sources said.

The paper books of the Narayanganj seven-murder cases reached the HC on May 7 from the Bangladesh Government Press for hearing their death references and appeals.

Read More: 26 get death for 7 murders

A paper book contains all the details of a case, trial proceedings, statements, evidence, verdicts and other documents. The book is necessary for the HC to hear and dispose of a death reference or an appeal.

If a lower court sentences any person to death, its judgment is examined by the HC through hearing arguments for confirmation of the death sentence. The case documents and the judgment reach as death reference to the HC from the lower court in seven days after the verdict is pronounced.

Earlier on January 16, the District and Sessions Judge's Court in Narayanganj found 35 people, including 25 former Rab officials and expelled ruling Awami League man Nur Hossain, guilty of abduction and murder of seven people and destroying evidence in April 2014.

The court handed down death penalty to 26 people, including 16 former Rab (Rapid Action Battalion) men, and jailed 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 in 2014. Later, their bodies were found floating in the Shitalakkhya River.