Bangladesh: life imprisonment means jail for rest of life

The Supreme Court has published the full verdict commuting death sentences of two convicts to life imprisonment, making it clear that they will be imprisoned for the rest of their lives.

In the full verdict published on Monday, the Appellate Division also concluded that life imprisonment means imprisonment for the rest of the life of the convict.

“Life imprisonment within the meaning of section 53 read with section 45 of the Penal Code means imprisonment for rest of the life of the convict,” the court concluded in the verdict available on the Supreme Court website.

Asked about the matter, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told bdnews24.com that all those sentenced to life in prison will have to spend the remainder of their lives in prison from now on.

The verdict dismissed the appeals of death row convicts Ataur Mridha and Anwar Hossain but with reduction of the sentence of the appellants to imprisonment for the rest of the life for murdering one ‘Zaman’ in Gazipur 16 years ago.

An Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, delivered the verdict on Feb 14.

Life sentence meant 30 years in prison as stated in the Code of Criminal Procedure.

After the Appellate Division delivered the judgement on Feb 14, lawyer for the appellants Khondaker Mahbub Hossain said he told the court that the comment by Chief Justice Sinha on the matter should not be in the main verdict. “Because it will then apply to all cases.”

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