DHAKA : High Court (HC) has delivered 10 verdicts over the past month after giving priority to the hearing of death references and appeals in cases filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, signalling a renewed focus on the speedy disposal of some of the country's most serious criminal cases.

Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury on June 10 constituted a dedicated HC bench, on a priority basis, to dispose of death references for confirmation of death sentences awarded under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act, as well as appeals arising from the same judgments.

To conduct the cases before the bench, the state formed a special prosecution team led by Attorney General Barrister Md Ruhul Quddus Kazol. The team comprises Deputy Attorneys General Mohammad Imam Hossain Tarek and Syed Ejaz Kabir, along with Assistant Attorneys General Mahbuba Tasnim Akhi, Mostafizur Rahman Mukul, Ashraful Alam, Rohani Siddika and Al Amin Siddiqui.

The High Court Division bench comprising Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice KM Rasheduzzaman Raja enlisted 20 death references and criminal appeals for hearing. 

Over the past month, the bench delivered verdicts in 10 cases after hearing the matters, including the rape and murder of schoolgirl Rima in Shariatpur, the Jharna murder case in Pirojpur, and several cases involving the murder of women killed by their husbands.

Talking to BSS, Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Imam Hossain Tarek, who represented the state before the bench, said that 10 judgments had been delivered between June 14-the bench's first working day-and July 15.

"Delivering verdicts in as many as 10 death reference and appeal cases within just one month is undoubtedly unprecedented," he said.

Tarek attributed the swift disposal of the cases to the coordinated efforts of both the prosecution and the court. 

"Following the instructions of Attorney General, the state never sought adjournments or additional time during the hearings. At the same time, the court remained committed to expeditiously disposing of these cases, making it possible to deliver so many judgments within such a short period," he added.

When the death reference in the rape and murder case of eight-year-old Ramisa from Pallabi in the capital came up before the special High Court bench on June 16, the court directed the appointment of state defence counsel for the two convicts, Sohel Rana and his wife, Swapna Akter.

The bench has also enlisted the death references and appeals in the high-profile murder case of Sonagazi madrasa student Nusrat Jahan Rafi and the rape and murder case of eight-year-old Achhiya in Magura. Deputy Attorney General Mohammad Imam Hossain Tarek told BSS that hearings in both cases are expected to begin within the next two weeks.

Under Section 374 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, every death sentence imposed by a trial court must be confirmed by the High Court before it can be carried out. To facilitate this mandatory judicial review, the trial court forwards its judgment along with the complete case records to the High Court in the form of a death reference.

The High Court then hears the death reference together with any appeal filed by the condemned prisoner or a jail appeal submitted from prison before delivering its final judgment on the conviction and sentence.