State loses stay appeal against HC order acquitting 4 in Bishwajit killing

Chamber judge of the Bangladesh Supreme Court scrapped a state appeal seeking stay on the acquittal the four accused in sensational Bishwajit murder case and asked the government to file regular leave to appeal petition against the aforementioned acquittal. Chamber Judge Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after hearing the appeal petition. Earlier on August 6, the High Court upheld the death penalty of two convicts while commuted the death sentence of four to life term imprisonment and acquitted two death-row convicts in the Biswajit murder case. Among the convicts, the court upheld the death penalty of Rafiqul Islam Shakil and Rajon Talukdar while commuted the death penalty Mahfuzur Rahman Nahid, Emdadul Haq Emdad, GM Rasheduzzaman Shaon and Mir Nure Alam Limon to life term imprisonment. Two death-row convicts-Kaiyim and Saiful Islam-- and two lifers-- Golam Mostafa and HM Kibria-- were acquitted. On December 18, 2013, a tribunal condemned eight activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) to death and 13 others to life term imprisonment in the Biswajit Das killing case. On December 9, 2012, a tailor shop employee Biswajit Das was chopped to death by some Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists near Bahadur Shah Park in Old Dhaka during the opposition's countrywide road blockade programme.