The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday stayed execution of condemned militant Khaled Saifullah until February 19. Chamber judge of the appellate division of the SC Justice Amirul Kabir Chowdhury delivered the order following a review petition of Khaled Saifullah for reconsidering the death sentence against him. The court also directed for hearing the matter at the full bench of the SC.
On November 28 last year, the full bench of the SC headed by Chief Justice Syed JR Mudassir Husain rejected the petitions of six of the seven sentenced to death Islamist militants including Saifullah seeking permission to appeal against a High Court (HC) judgement upholding the sentences. The seven had been convicted of killing two Jhalakathi judges. Additional District and Sessions Judge of Jhalakathi Reza Tarik Ahmed sentenced JMB chief Abdur Rahman, its second-in-command Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, Majlish-e-Shura members Ataur Rahman Sunny, Abdul Awal and Khaled Saifullah, suicide bomber Iftekhar al Mamun, and absconding Asadul Islam alias Arif to death by hanging, and acquitted another one on May 29. The High Court (HC) upheld the trial court's verdict on August 31. After rejection of his appeal, Saifullah filed a review petition in the SC. |