Law
Week
High security jail for condemned prisoners planned
A high security jail for prisoners in death row will be built at Kashimpur in Gazipur as the number of such convicts is rising due to the lengthy process of execution of death penalty. A home ministry proposal in this regard awaits approval of the Planning Commission, and construction of the prison will start immediately after its approval. Condemned prisoners in different jails across the country number about 750 and the government feels the necessity of a special jail for them with special security system, State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar said after a meeting of the home ministry's law and order monitoring cell yesterday. When a lower court delivers a judgement awarding death penalty, it goes to the High Court Division of the Supreme Court (SC), then to the Appellate Division of the SC, and finally to the president for mercy, he said. "It takes another couple of years to execute the death sentence." "I think it will take at least 100 years to execute the death sentence of these 750 convicts if the process (of execution) goes on at the current rate or speed," the state minister said. The high security prison capable of accommodating 400-500 convicts sentenced to death will be built near two existing jails in Kashimpur. The verdicts in 81 cases that the monitoring cell listed for quick disposal have already been delivered. A total of 234 people have been awarded death penalty, 243 life imprisonment and 65 jailed for different terms in the cases, yesterday's meeting was told. - The Daily Star, September 19.
Shibir man freed on pressure after held on militant suspicion
Bowing to pressure from a top Shibir leader, police yesterday released a field-level leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of ruling Jamaat-e Islami, barely one and a half hours after he was held on suspicion in city's Paltan area. General Secretary of Dhaka city unit Shibir Kamal Hossain while pressing the policemen to free his fellow party man also misbehaved with the newsmen. Sources said police stopped Altaf, 25, Shibir president of Durgapur union in Rajshahi, at about 12:45pm when he was passing the Paltan intersection with a bag. As the law enforcers found huge money receipts and organisational booklets inside the bag, they took him to Paltan Police Box. On hearing the news, four Shibir men including Kamal came to the spot and asked the police officials to release Altaf. They were shouting at the policemen, asking them to free Altaf at once, said an eyewitness. The on duty sub-inspector (SI) said they could not release Altaf before taking him to Ramna Police Station. But Kamal ignoring the SI left the place with Altaf. Earlier when the SI wanted to know their identity, Kamal said they are the people from the government party. -The Daily Star, September 19.
Ex-army corporal confesses to training militants
Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant Obaidullah Suman identified retired lance corporal Harunur Rashid as his instructor of making bombs while the former army personnel also confessed to giving training to JMB bomb squads. A Kishoreganj court sent Harun, arrested at Monipur in Dhaka on Tuesday, on a seven-day remand soon after Suman identified him at the Kishoreganj Police Station. Suman, who was arrested with four kilograms of powder explosives and 50 detonators in Kishoreganj on September 14, also disclosed that eight experts gave them training in operating different firearms.Investigators, however, declined to disclose the names of the experts. Sources said the investigators maintained silence as there may be some in-service defence men besides the retired ones.
Meanwhile, Abdur Rahman Masud, who was arrested at Kaliakair in Gazipur in the early hours yesterday, told the police that they held a secret meeting at Moinartek in the capital's Uttara the night before the August 17 countrywide bomb attacks.- The Daily Star, September 22.
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