410 awarded death sentences by Speedy Trial Tribunals
This was stated by Law Minister Moudud Ahmed while addressing the monthly press briefing on the activities of his ministry in the city yesterday.
In a written statement, he said there are 831 convicts of capital punishment at 53 condemned cells of different prisons in the country.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Moudud said execution of capital punishment is being delayed due to slow pace of disposal of death references in the High Court owing to delay in preparing paper books for hearing the death reference cases.
"The government has provided 10 computers, photocopy machines and additional manpower to the Supreme Court to prepare the paper books for speedy disposal of the death references. But preparing of paper books is a lengthy process," he added.
Moudud said law officers have been instructed not to linger the hearing of death reference cases seeking time from the High Court.
He said 126 death reference cases of 2003, 176 of 2004, 175 of 2005 and 16 of 2006 had been pending in the High Court for disposal till March 8 this year.
However, 40 cases of 2003 were disposed of by this time, he said.
"A total of 779 sensational cases including Buet student Sony murder case, and college student Bushra and school student Trisha rape and murder cases were disposed of by the Speedy Trial Tribunals till April 10," he added.
According to the statement, a total of 24 court orders for death sentence were executed from October 2001 to January 2006. Of them, one was executed in 2001, two each in 2002 and 2003, 13 in 2004, five in 2005 and one in 2006.
"A total of 1,037 cases were filed with nine Speedy Trial Tribunals as of April 10 this year. Of them, some 61 cases are now pending with the tribunals. A total of 2,298 accused in 184 cases have been acquitted. The tribunals have given over 20 years of imprisonment to 895 convicts, 10 to 20 years to 358 and one to 10 years to 287," said Moudud.