HC to resume hearing death reference, appeals March 14

The High Court yesterday fixed March 14 for resuming hearing on the death reference and appeals in the sensational Ramna Batamul carnage case.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Shahidul Karim was set to hear concluding arguments from Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on the death reference and appeals in the case, as placing arguments by both the state and defence counsels had already been finished earlier.

But the judges fixed March 14 for hearing arguments from the attorney general as time has been sought on behalf of him in this regard, Deputy Attorney General Forhad Ahmed told The Daily Star.

He also said the HC might conclude the hearing on that day. 

On January 8, the HC started hearing on the death reference and appeals in the case. A Dhaka court on June 23, 2014 handed down death penalty to eight militants of Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji), including its top leader Mufti Abdul Hannan Munshi, for killing 10 people in the attack on the Chhayanaut function during Pahela Baishakh celebrations at Ramna Batamul in 2001.

Six other militants of the banned Islamist outfit were sentenced to life imprisonment for involvement in the blasts. Eight of the condemned accused filed nine separate appeals with the HC challenging the trial court verdict.