A Jhalakathi court awarded death penalty to seven militant leaders including Abdur Rahman and Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai.

A division bench of the HC granted the application as the Attorney General's (AG) office moved it since the government wants quick disposal of cases, especially death references concerning militants.

Explaining the urgency of preparing the paper book in its application, the government said, "For the national security, national interest, peace, tranquillity and smooth running of all the organs of the state including the judiciary, preparation of the paper book is very important.'

Following the HC order, Deputy Attorney General (DAG) Md Helal Uddin Mollah, who moved the application, told newsmen, " I hope if everything goes smoothly, we will be able to prepare the paper book and submit it before the court for hearing within a month."

The whole nation and the world want quick disposal of this case. So, it cannot be compared with other murder cases like the ones for land disputes etc, he stressed.

The DAG said preparation of paper books for hearing of death references of different cases of 2003 now going on. If the paper book for the Jhalakathi case is prepared as in other common cases, then it will come up for HC hearing in 2009.

Over 500 cases are now awaiting paper book preparation and death reference hearing, he mentioned.

So it will take several years for hearing of death reference of Jhalakathi case, he said.

The Jhalakathi Speedy Trial Tribunal on May 29 sentenced to death Abdur Rahman, Bangla Bhai, Ataur Rahman Sunny, Abdul Awal, Khaled Saifullah, Asadur Rahman Arif and Iftekhar Hasan Al Mamun for killing two judges -- Sohel Ahmed and Jagannath Pande.

The AG's office on June 6 filed an application with the vacation bench of the HC seeking permission to prepare the paper book on a priority basis for hearing of the death reference in the case.

Later, the vacation bench asked the AG's office to take up the matter with the Regular Bench of the HC.

Accordingly, the AG's office did so on June 12.