The Supreme Court on Thursday extended till July 17 the stay order on the High Court verdict acquitting 11 people in the Awami League leader Ahsanullah Master killing case.A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice SK Sinha, passed the order.Attorney General Mahbubey Alam appeared for the state during the hearing.Earlier on June 21, the Supreme Court stayed the High Court order acquitting 11 people in the Ahsanullah Master killing case until July 14.Chamber judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foyez Siddique issued the stay order following a government petition against the HC order.
The government filed the appeal before the Appellate Division of the SC bench concerned seeking a stay order on the acquittal of the 11 convicts in the killing case on June 20.The acquitted convicts are Amir Hossain, Boro Jahangir, son of Nur Hossain, Foysal (fugitive), Lokman Hossain Bulu, Rony Fakir (fugitive), Khokon (fugitive), Dulal Mia, Rakibuddin Sarkar alias Pappu Sarkar, Ayub Ali, Jahangir, son of Meher Ali and Monir. Of them, Rakibuddin, Ayub, Jahangir and Monir were awarded life term imprisonment in the case.On June 15, the HC upheld the death sentences of six convicts, commuted that of seven to life term in jail and acquitted 11 people from the charges in the murder case.Criminals shot Ahsanullah Master, a former AL MP, to death at a rally at MA Mazid Miah High School ground at Tongi, Gazipur on May 7, 2004.The following day, victim’s brother Matiur Rahman filed the case with Tongi police station against 17 people.A speedy trial tribunal on April 16, 2005 sentenced 22 people, including BNP leader Nurul Islam Sarker, to death and six others to life imprisonment in the murder case.Of them, two convicts died during the trial proceedings, while 17 are behind bars and nine others are on the run.The convicts later appealed to the HC against the sentences.
source:UNB
