9 death row convicts in BDR carnage case seek acquittal from Appellate Division

Nine convicts of the BDR carnage case have filed an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, challenging the High Court verdict that confirmed their death sentences handed by the trial court.

The nine convicts collectively submitted the 55,623-page appeal through their lawyers to the office concerned of the Appellate Division yesterday (January 5) seeking acquittal of the charges in which they were found guilty and sentenced to death.

The convicted appellants are -- Sepoy Kamal Mollah, Sepoy Abdul Mohit, Habildar Yusuf Ali, Sepoy Bazlur Rashid, Subedar Major Shahidur Rahman, Nayeb Subedar Fazlul Karim, Habildar ABM Anisuzzaman, Sepoy Md Moniruzzaman and Nayek Abu Sayeed Alam.

Citing the appeal, their defence lawyer Aminul Islam today said his clients have not implicated themselves in their confessional statements.

Their confessions were exculpatory in nature and therefore, those confessions are not confessional statements in the eye of law, the lawyer said, adding that the state has failed to prove the allegations brought against them.

Lawyer Aminul said they submitted total 14 copies of the appeal in 140 volumes to the apex court.

He also said they submitted an application to the office of the chief justice to allow other convicts of the case to file appeals against the HC verdict on the basis of the paper book submitted by the nine convicts along with their appeal.

Lawyer Aminul could not say when the apex court will start hearing on the appeals in connection with the BDR carnage case.

Last month (December, 2020) the state filed 20 separate leave to appeal petitions with the Appellate Division challenging the HC verdict that acquitted 75 accused and commuted death sentence of eight convicts to life imprisonment in the BDR carnage case.