HC upholds death sentence on seven

The High Court yesterday upheld a lower court judgment that sentenced seven persons to death in a case filed for killing six members of a family in Narsingdi in 2007.
The death row convicts are Akhtaruzzaman Biru, Dhud Miah, Sharif Bhuiyan, Shahid Mia, Fazlul Haq, Swapan Mia and Jahangir. They are all now in Narsingdi jail.
The HC has affirmed their death sentence, as the allegations brought against them for killing six people have been proved, Deputy Attorney General Bhishmadev Chakrabortty told The Daily Star.  
According to the prosecution, Raisuddin, 52, his wife Salma Begum, 48, their son Rajib, 22, and daughters Yuona, 28, Swarna, 26, and adopted daughter Urmi, 8, were killed at their house at Bhelanagar in Narsingdi town on the night of May 17, 2007. The criminals slit the throats of Yuona and Swarna after rape and strangled four others.
Raisuddin's younger brother Shahjahan Bhuiyan alias Ratan filed the murder case with Narsingdi Sadar Police Station.  
Additional District and Sessions Judge AKM Abul Kashem of Narsingdi on March 17, 2008 gave the death sentence to the seven convicts for the killing.
Yesterday, the HC bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha delivered the verdict after hearing the appeals filed by the condemned convicts against the lower court judgment.
Earlier on January 19 this year, a two-judge HC bench delivered a split verdict over a lower court judgment that sentenced seven persons to death in the same case.
Senior judge of the bench Justice Shahidul Islam turned down the lower court verdict while junior judge of the bench Justice Abdur Rob upheld it. The judges then sent the case records along with their verdicts to the chief justice.
Later, Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain sent those to the HC bench of Justice Bhabani Prasad Singha for its final disposal. This bench yesterday dismissed the appeals filed by the convicts.
Khabir Uddin Bhuiyan, a defence lawyer, told The Daily Star that they would appeal to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the HC verdict.