Dhaka, Jul 11 (UNB) – The Appellate Division on Thursday concluded hearing on an appeal seeking review on ‘life term means until death’ and kept it in CAV (curia advisari vult, which means reserving the verdict for a later time).

A seven-member bench, led by Chief Justice (CJ) Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the order in the morning.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam stood for the state while Advocate Khandakar Mahbub Hossain represented the petitioner.

Besides, senior lawyer Rokanuddin Mahmud, AF Hassan Arif, Abdur Razzak Khan, and AM Amin Uddin expressed their opinion regarding the matter as they were appointed as Amirus Curiae (legal opinion provider in court) over the matter.

On October 15, 2003, lower court sentenced two siblings - Ataur Mridha alias Ataur and Anowar Hossain – to death in a murder case. Later, the High Court also upheld their death sentence on October 30, 2007.

On February 14, 2017, the Appellate Division commuted their death sentence to life term imprisonment when the convicts challenged the High Court verdict.

Meanwhile, the Appellate Division expressed seven-point opinion stating that ‘Life term imprisonment means sentence until death’.

Later, Amirus Curiae was appointed to hear the opinion of senior advocates over the matter when review appeal was filed by the convicts.

Normally as per the Bangladeshi law convicted offenders of life term imprisonment has to serve in jail for 30 years.