SC commutes death penalty of 2 convicts

The Supreme Court yesterday commuted death penalty of a convict to life imprisonment and acquitted another from charges in two separate cases for killing their wives -- in Bogura and Bagerhat.

The Appellate Division of the SC also commuted another convicted killer Al Amin's death sentence to life imprisonment in a case filed for abducting and killing a child in Cumilla.

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Convicts Md Golam Rabbani (43) from Bogura and Al Amin (33) from Cumilla, whose death sentences were commuted, will now be shifted to normal cells from condemn cells in jails.

Acquitted Md Shaheb Alik Fakir (44), hailing from Bagerhat, will be released from prison following the apex court verdict.

A five-member full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, delivered the verdicts after hearing three separate appeals filed by Golam Rabbani, Al Amin and Shaheb Alik through jail authorities, challenging High Court judgments that confirmed their death sentences.

SM Aminul Islam Sanu, a state defense lawyer for Rabbani and Alik, told The Daily Star that Rabbani was arrested on January 25 2008 in the case filed with Bogura's Kahalu Police Station for killing his wife Shirina Khatun (30) by poisoning her through injection.

The HC on December 6, 2015 confirmed the death penalty handed by a Bogrua court on July 21, 2010 to Rabbani.

The SC yesterday commuted Rabbani's death sentence to life imprisonment considering the arguments that he has two sons and had no intention to kill his wife, Aminul said.

He further said the apex court acquitted Alik from the case filed with Mollarhat Police Station in Bagerhat on charge of killing his wife Sheuly Begum (20) on November 28, 2007 as the medical and chemical reports said the death of Sheuly was caused due to poisoning, which was suicidal in nature.

On July 5, 2015, the HC confirmed his death penalty given by a Bagerhat court on June 10, 2010 in the case, he added.

Shirin Afroz, a state-appointed defense lawyer for Al Amin, told this correspondent Al Amin was arrested on December 8, 2010 in the case filed for abducting and killing 12-year old third-grader Parvez.

Parvez's slaughtered body was recovered from a paddy filed on November 15, 2020. His mother Josna Begum filed the case with Debidwar Police Station against Al Amin the same day.

The trial court concerned of Cumilla on January 31, 2012 convicted and sentenced Parvez to death and the HC on January 29, 2017 confirmed his death sentence, the lawyer said.

Shirin Afroz said the SC commuted death penalty of Al Amin considering her arguments that the accused Al Amin was young and he had no source of income during the occurrence.

Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Bishwajit Debnath represented the state during the virtual hearing of the appeals.