Xulhaz, Tonoy Murder: HC gets death reference of 6 condemned

The death reference of the case in which six militants were sentenced to death for killing former USAID official Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Mahbub Rabbi Tonoy in April 2016 has reached the High Court for the examination of the trial court verdict.

Officials of the Dhaka tribunal concerned brought the documents of the case, including the judgment, to the HC yesterday, its special officer Md Saifur Rahman told The Daily Star.

The officials concerned of the HC received the documents.

The HC authorities will now prepare paper books for hearing on the death reference, Rahman added.

If a lower court sentences any person to death in a case, its judgment is examined by the HC through hearing arguments for confirmation of the death sentence.

The case documents and judgment reach as death reference to the HC from the lower court as per Section 376 of the Code of Criminal Procedure.

Judge Md Majibur Rahman of the Anti-Terrorism Special Tribunal of Dhaka on August 30 sentenced six members of the banned militant group Ansar al Islam to death for killing Mannan and Tonoy.

The convicts are: Syed Mohammad Ziaul Haque alias Major (sacked) Zia, Akram Hossain, Mozammel Hossain Saimon, Arafat Rahman Siam, Sheikh Abdullah alias Jubair and Asadullah alias Foyjul.

The court acquitted Sabbirul Haque Chowdhury and Junaid Ahmed alias Maulana Junaid as the charges against them could not be proven.

Zia, Akram, Sabbirul and Junaid are on the run, while Mozammel, Arafat, Abdullah and Asadullah are behind bars.

In the verdict, the judge observed that there was no scope for showing mercy to the convicts as their crimes were heinous.

On April 25, 2016, Mannan was hacked to death in his home at Dhaka's Kalabagan along with his friend Tonoy.

Minhaz Mannan Emon, Xulhaz's brother, filed a murder case with Kalabagan Police Station that day accusing unidentified assailants.