SC stays HC verdict on condemned cell prisoners

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) today (May 15) stayed the recent High Court's ruling that said the death row convicts cannot be kept in the condemned cell before disposal of judicial and administrative procedure.

Justice M Inayetur Rahim stayed the High Court (HC) verdict after an appeal by the state on Wednesday (May 15).

At the same time, Justice Rahim fixed August 25 as the date for the hearing.

Attorney General AM Amin Uddin appeared on behalf of the state.

On May 13, Justice Sheikh Hasan Arif and Justice Md. Bazlur Rahman's High Court bench ruled that a death row convict cannot be kept in the condemned cell before disposal of judicial and administrative procedures.

After that the chief law officer of the state said, “We will appeal after getting the full copy of the verdict. Now an application has been made seeking stay of the provided judgment. It will be heard in the chamber court tomorrow.”

It should be mentioned that on April 5, 2022, HC issued a rule asking the government to explain why regulation 980 of Bangladesh Jail Code, which says such convicts must be kept in condemned cells, should not be declared unconstitutional.