The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday scrapped the review petition of Dr Mohammad Mohiuddin and Jahangir Alam, who have been sentenced to death in a case lodged over the murder of Rajshahi University Prof S Taher Ahmed.
"Dismissed," said the judgment passed by the apex court full bench headed by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique.
"After the apex court judgement, the two death-row convicts' only option to save their necks is to file a mercy petition to the president. If that petition gets dismissed, there would be no legal bar to execute their death sentences," Attorney General AM Amin Uddin said.
Expressing satisfaction over the judgment, the attorney general further said the murder of Prof Dr S Taher was one of the most gruesome killings of the country's history, adding, "this judgment will once again give a message that none will get exempted after committing such crimes."
Prof Taher's daughter and Supreme Court lawyer Shagufta Tabassum Ahmed on Thursday expressed her satisfaction over the judgment, saying, her family had to fight long 17 years for justice. She demanded quick execution of the judgment.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on February 23, 2023, had set Thursday for pronouncing judgment on the review plea filed by the convicts in the case.
The apex court on September 14, 2022, published the 68-page verdict upholding the death sentence of two convicts, Rajshahi University teacher Dr Miah Mohammad Mohiuddin and then caretaker at Prof S Taher's residence Jahangir Alam. The apex court also upheld the sentence of life imprisonment for Abdus Salam.
Dr S Taher Ahmed, professor of Rajshahi University Department of Geology and Mining, was killed on February 1, 2006, and police recovered his body from a septic tank behind his residence on the university campus on February 3 the same year. His son Sanjid Alvi Ahmed filed the case with Motihar Police Station on the same day.
Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal on May 22, 2008, sentenced four accused to death and acquitted two others of the charges.
The High Court after holding a hearing on the death reference and appeals of the convicts pronounced its judgment on April 21, 2013. It confirmed the death sentence of the then RU teachers Dr Mia Mohammad Mohiuddin and Jahangir Alam for their involvement in the gruesome murder. The court, however, commuted the death sentences of Jahangir's brother Md Abdus Salam and brother-in-law Md Nazmul.
On February 22, 2022, the apex court started hearing the appeals filed by the convicts challenging the HC verdict against them. The Appellate Division on April 5, 2022, upheld the High Court verdict.
After that the three convicts, Mohiuddin, Jahangir and Salam, filed a plea, seeking a review of the apex court's judgment.
