FROM PAGE 3

death sentence of a convicted father to 10 years’ imprisonment for killing his four-year-old son in Barishal.

The apex court commuted death sentence of Md Mamun of Charghat upazila in Rajshahi in a case filed for killing his wife Nahar Begum in 2004.

Additional Attorney General Sk Md Morshed told The Daily Star that Mamun (28) strangled his wife Nahar (22) to death in a family feud over dowry on December 6, 2004.

The Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal-2 on July 21, 2008 convicted and sentenced Mamun to death. On November 25, 2013, the High Court confirmed the death sentence.

He then filed two appeals with the Appellate Division. After holding hearing on those, the apex court commuted his death sentence.

Besides, the apex court yesterday commuted the death sentence of Md Jashim Rari of Barishal’s Mehendiganj upazila to 10 years’ imprisonment in a case filed for killing his son in 2007.

The top court also ordered the jail authorities to immediately release Jashim from jail if he is not arrested in any other case as he has been in jail since 2007.

It delivered the verdict after hearing an appeal filed by Jashim, challenging the HC judgement that confirmed his death sentence handed down by a trial court.

Defence lawyer Helal Uddin Mollah argued for Jashim while DAG Bishwajit Debnath represented the state.

Lawyer Helal Uddin said the apex court commuted the death sentence, considering that Jashim killed his son Shahin out of anger after his mother-in-law had beaten him with a broom following an altercation.

It was not a planned murder, he said.

According to the case statement, Jashim and his mother-in-law got into an argument over dowry when he went to his in-laws’ house at Kolchar-Shayamra village in Mehendiganj upazila to see his wife Fatema Begum and son on March 31, 2007.

After the incident, Shahin went missing. Later, Jashim confessed that he strangled him. Shahin’s mother lodged a murder case with Mehendiganj Police Station on April 2.

Barishal District and Sessions Judge Court on July 28, 2008 handed down death sentence to him, which was confirmed by the HC on November 14, 2013.

‘COVID SITUATION NOT GOOD’

Meanwhile at another hearing yesterday, the chief justice said the pandemic situation in the country is very bad now.

He said this while presiding over a full bench of the Appellate Division for virtually hearing and disposing of cases.

During the proceedings, SCBA secretary Md Ruhul Quddus Kazal requested the CJ to resume functions of some HC benches for quick hearing and disposing of more cases.

He rejected the request, saying, “Do you have any information? The (Covid-19) situation in the country is very bad.”

He also mentioned there is a Covid-19 testing booth on SC premises for judges, lawyers and court officials.