Court hearing on Islamists JMB kingpins in death row begins

Dhaka, Nov 19 (UNI) The Bangladesh Supreme Court today started hearing on admissibility of the petitions of the six outlawed JMB militants seeking to file an appeal against the death sentences.

After a half-an-hour hearing, a seven-member full court of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain, adjourned the hearing till tomorrow.

The High Court recently upheld the death sentences against the militant kingpins for the killing of two judges in Jhalakathi in a suicide bomb attack, in the wake of serial bombings across the country.

During the hearings, Khalilur Rahman Bhuiyan, state defence counsel for the militants, was grilled by the court, as nowhere in the written submissions made by the condemned petitioners had they expressed their recognition of the highest court, which is governed by laws of the land and the Constitution.

''Is it a proper petition for leave to appeal or mere sermons to the court? Have you pointed out any flaw in the High Court verdict? Where are the errors in law committed by the HC in its verdict confirming the death sentences?,'' the apex court queried. ''The condemned petitioners are critical of court, terming it Taguti ain (manmade law), and declared the judges as Murtad (heretic) and demanded justice by forming court guided by Islamic laws, then what would happen in disposing of the cases?,'' the court further asked.

The defence counsel kept mum amid a salvo of questions shot by the court. He, however, read out four out of six written submissions made by the condemned prisoners - JMB Supremo Shaekh Abdur Rahman, his second-in-command Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, military operation commander and brother Ataur Rahman Sunny and son-in-law Abdul Awal.

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