It is impossible to deter crime by death penalty alone: Chief Justice

Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain has observed that hanging or death sentence does not protect society and deter crime from the country.

In a virtual bench of a six-member appellate division, the chief justice made the observation in a jail appeal hearing filed by an accused against the High Court order that upheld the death sentence in a case.

The Appellate Division on Tuesday commuted the death sentence of a convict to a 10-year imprisonment, partially accepting his jail appeal in a case.

At one stage of hearing, the CJ said "Sentence, hanging does not protect society. Our law and order situation is in no way worse than India. We are not lagging behind in any criteria from India. "

Deputy Attorney General Biswajit Debnath presented the observations and decisions of various judgments of the Supreme Courts of Bangladesh and India.

In 2019, Indian courts awarded 121 death sentences and Bangladesh 327.

Asked whether wife killing has stopped, the Chief Justice said, "There is no need for witnesses in wife killing. Husbands are convicted in 80% of cases."

Death penalty commuted to life in prison

After hearing another jail appeal, the appellate division bench commuted the death sentence of a convict to life imprisonment in a case filed over the murder of his wife.

At one point in the hearing, the chief justice said, "The number of wife killings is so high that when we open the newspaper in the morning, we have to read news on wife killings. We have given so many death sentences and life imprisonment in wife killing cases, but nothing has improved."

Following the hearing, the Appellate Division commuted the death sentence and sentenced Mamun to life imprisonment.

At the same time, the jail authorities were directed to bring the accused from the condemn cell to the general cell of the jail immediately.

Lawyer SM Shahjahan appeared for the accused in the court. Nahid Mahtab, a lawyer on behalf of the Supreme Court Legal Aid, assisted him in the hearing.

At the hearing, SM Shahjahan said convict Mamun has been in jail for 17 years since 21 July 2005. He has been in the condemn cell for 13 years since 21 July 2008.

Additional Attorney General Sheikh Mohammad Morshed and Deputy Attorney General Biswajit Debnath represented the state.