HC likely to start hearing death reference, appeals in May

The High Court is likely to start hearing the death reference and appeals in the Ramna Batamul bomb blast case in the first week of May.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Amir Hossain might begin the hearing on May 5, said Deputy Attorney General Shaikh AKM Moniruzzaman Kabir, adding that the death reference and appeals have been included in the hearing list of the HC bench as per sequence.

A Dhaka court on June 23, 2014 handed down death penalty to 8 militants of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji), including its top leader Mufti Abdul Hannan Munshi, for killing 10 people in the attack on the Chhayanaut function during the Pahela Baishakh celebration at Ramna Batamul in 2001.

Six other militants of the banned Islamist outfit were sentenced to life imprisonment for their involvement in the blasts.

Later, 8 of the condemned accused filed nine separate appeals with the HC challenging the trial court verdict on them, added DAG Moniruzaman.