Life imprisonment in Bangladesh means a convict will remain behind bars for 30 years unless specifically mentioned in the verdict that the person is sentenced to imprisonment until natural death.
The 120-page full verdict of the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh on the matter was published on its website on Thursday.
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“Imprisonment for life is equivalent to imprisonment for 30 years if sections 45 and 53 are read together along with sections 55 and 57 of the Penal Code and 35A of the Code of Criminal Procedure,” it read.
However, the convict will not be entitled to get the benefit of section 35A of the Code of Criminal Procedure, if awarded life imprisonment by the International Crimes Tribunal under International Crimes Tribunals Act, 1973.
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A seven-member bench, led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed a short verdict on December 1 last year over the matter following a review petition filed by a convict, Ataur Mridha.
Attorney General AM Amin Uddin stood for the state while Advocate Khandakar Mahbub Hossain represented the petitioner.