JusticeMakers Bangladesh in France (JMBF) has called upon Bangladesh’s interim government, led by Nobel laureate Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus to abolish the death penalty in all its forms. The statement from the France-based rights group came on the occasion of World Day Against the Death Penalty 2024 being observed on Thursday. The statement asserts that the death penalty is an irreversible and inhumane punishment that has no place in a just and civilized society. This stance aligns with national and international legal frameworks that prioritise human dignity, the right to life, and fairness. Article 32 of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh guarantees the right to life and personal liberty, yet the death penalty contradicts this fundamental right, it noted. “While justice and accountability are essential, capital punishment is neither a deterrent to crime nor a path to true justice,” JMBF emphasised. “It disproportionately affects the marginalized, the underprivileged, and those who lack access to proper legal representation.” According to JMBF, over 2,000 individuals are currently on death row in Bangladesh. The organisation calls for an urgent reconsideration of the practice as part of the global movement toward abolition. From 2013 to 2023, Bangladesh carried out at least 30 executions, mostly in cases involving murder, terrorism, and war crimes related to the 1971 Liberation War. Read: France-based group speaks out on state of lesbian rights in Bangladesh JMBF expressed concern about the fairness of trials, with reports of coerced confessions, inadequate legal defense, and the use of torture, which undermine the credibility of the justice system and increase the risk of wrongful executions. JMBF pointed to flaws in Bangladesh’s justice system, such as overcrowded courts, prolonged detention without trial, and the lack of legal aid. In some cases, death sentences were handed down without proper representation or fair trials, violating fundamental rights. JMBF highlighted global studies showing that the death penalty does not deter crime, citing over 85 nations that have abolished it since 1976. Robert Simon, a French human rights activist and Chief Adviser of JMBF, stated, “The death penalty is an irreversible punishment that reflects not justice, but the shortcomings of our legal system.” Advocate Shahanur Islam, founder president of JMBF, emphasised, “Our fight is not just for those on death row but for the integrity of our justice system and the future of human rights in Bangladesh. Abolishing the death penalty sends a clear message that justice should protect human dignity, not take human life.” Read more: France-based rights group voices concern over mob violence in Bangladesh

The Japanese government carried out no executions in 2023 for the first time in three years, local media reported. Currently, there are 106 inmates on death row in Japan, after three died from illness and other causes, and three others had their death sentences finalized this year, Japanese newspaper Asahi Shimbun said, citing the Justice Ministry. Read: The year in review: Influential people who died in 2023 The law on inmate treatment stipulates that no executions will take place from Dec. 29 to Jan. 3, making any such act within the year impossible. The last execution was on July 26, 2022, when Tomohiro Kato was hanged, who was convicted of murdering seven people by driving into them or stabbing them in a random attack in Tokyo's Akihabara district in 2008. Read: Bangladesh's mobile users reach 190.36 mln 

A man was arrested today (July 20, 2023), a day after a video of two women being paraded naked in India’s Manipur state drew nationwide outrage and calls for action. Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh announced the arrest this morning through Twitter, saying that his government will take strong action against all criminals, including the possibility of death penalty, reports NDTV. Also read: Modi breaks silence over Manipur 'ethnic violence' after viral video shows mob molesting women Heradas (32) was arrested from Thoubal district with the help of a viral video in which he was seen wearing a green T-shirt, according to police. The footage of the deplorable incident, which is said to have occurred in May in Kangpokpi district, resulted in widespread criticism from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Indian Supreme Court, NDTV said. “What has happened to the daughters of Manipur can never be forgiven. The incident is shameful for the country, the guilty will not be spared,” Modi said in parliament. Also read: 54 people killed in street clashes in India’s Manipur The Indian Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, has directed the government to take measures and to keep the court informed of the efforts being taken to guarantee the safety of women in the region, the report also said. “We are very deeply disturbed about the videos distributed yesterday. We are expressing our deep concern. It is time that the government steps and takes action. This is unacceptable,” he said.According to insiders, the government is expected to take action against Twitter over video distribution since it “could lead to problems in law and order,” added the report. The incident occurred on May 4, a day after conflict erupted in Manipur between the valley-majority Meitei and the hill-majority Kuki tribes over the Meiteis’ call for Scheduled Tribes (ST) recognition. Over 120 people have died as a result of the ethnic conflict, and hundreds have been internally displaced and are currently living in camps. Also read: Manipur situation will take time to settle down: Indian Chief of Defence Staff Meanwhile, the opposition has asked that PM Modi make a speech in parliament on the situation in Manipur. Ten opposition MPs have already introduced an adjournment motion in relation to Manipur, the report concluded.

A white gunman who killed 23 people in a racist attack on Hispanic shoppers at a Walmart in a Texas border city was sentenced Friday to 90 consecutive life sentences but could still face more punishment, including the death penalty. Patrick Crusius, 24, pleaded guilty earlier this year to nearly 50 federal hate crime charges in the 2019 mass shooting in El Paso, making it one of the U.S. government’s largest hate crime cases. Crusius, wearing a jumpsuit and shackles, did not speak during the hearing and showed no reaction as the sentence was read. U.S. District Judge David Guaderrama recommended that Crusius serve his sentence at a maximum security prison in Colorado and receive treatment and counseling for a severe mental health condition. Crusius still faces a separate trial in a Texas court that could end with him getting the death penalty for carrying out one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history. 8 dead as SUV hits crowd at Texas bus stop near border As Crusius was led from the courtroom, the son of one of the victims shouted from the gallery. “We’ll be seeing you again, coward,” yelled Dean Reckard, whose mother, Margie Reckard, was slain in the attack. “No apologies, no nothing.” Police say Crusius drove more than 700 miles from his home near Dallas to target Hispanics with an AK-style rifle inside and outside the store. Moments before the attack began, Crusius posted a racist screed online that warned of a Hispanic “invasion” of Texas. Police: 8 killed in Texas mall shooting, gunman also dead In the years since the shooting, Republicans have described migrants crossing the southern U.S. border as an “invasion,” waving off critics who say the rhetoric fuels anti-immigrant views and violence. Crusius pleaded guilty in February after federal prosecutors took the death penalty off the table. But Texas prosecutors have said they will try to put Crusius on death row when he stands trial in state court. That trial date has not yet been set. In the U.S. government's case, Crusius received a life sentence for each of the 90 charges against him, half of which were classified as hate crimes. Attorney General Merrick Garland said after the sentencing that “no one in this country should have to live in fear of hate-fueled violence.” Joe Spencer, Crusius’ attorney, told the judge before the sentencing that his client has a “broken brain.” He said Crusius had arrived in El Paso without a specific target in mind before winding up at the Walmart. “Patrick’s thinking is at odds with reality … resulting in delusional thinking,” Spencer said. Crusius became alarmed by his own violent thoughts, Spencer said, and he once left a job at a movie theater because of them. He said Crusius also searched online to look for ways to address his mental health, and he dropped out of a community college near Dallas because of his struggles. Suspected gunman caught after 5 dead in Texas mass shooting The sentencing in El Paso followed two days of impact statements from relatives of the victims, including citizens of Mexico and a German national. In addition to the dead, more than two dozen people were injured and numerous others were severely traumatized as they hid or fled. One by one, family members used their first opportunity since the shooting to directly address Crusius, describing how their lives have been upended by grief and pain. Some forgave him. One man displayed photographs of his slain father and insisted that the gunman look at them. Crusius’ family did not appear in the courtroom during the sentencing phase. The attack was the deadliest of a dozen mass shootings in the U.S. linked to hate crimes since 2006, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University. Before the shooting, Crusius had appeared consumed by the nation’s immigration debate, tweeting #BuildtheWall and posts that praised then-President Donald Trump’s hard-line border policies. He went further in his rant posted before the attack, sounding warnings that Hispanics were going to take over the government and economy. Ian Hanna, an assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted the government’s case, said Crusius had embraced the “insidious lie” that America only belonged to white people. “He wanted to eliminate a class of people,” Hanna said. Tito Anchondo, whose brother Andre Anchondo was killed in the attack, called the sentence “the best it’s going to get” because it ensures that Crusius will be left to think about his actions in prison for the rest of his life. “In a sense justice was served today, and in another sense I don’t think anything is ever going to be the same,” he said. The people who were killed ranged in age from a 15-year-old high school athlete to several grandparents. They included immigrants, a retired city bus driver, teachers, tradesmen including a former iron worker, and several Mexican nationals who had crossed the U.S. border on routine shopping trips. Two teenage girls recounted their narrow escape from Crusius’ rampage as they participated in a fundraiser for their youth soccer team outside the store, and said they are still fearful in public. Margaret Juarez, whose 90-year-old father was slain and whose mother was wounded but survived, said she found it ironic that Crusius would spend his life in prison among inmates from racial and ethnic minorities. Others in the courtroom applauded Thursday as she celebrated their liberty. “Swim in the waters of prison,” she told Crusius. “Now we’re going to enjoy the sunshine. … We still have our freedom, in our country.”

A Cumilla court on Wednesday sentenced two people to death over the murder of a man in Homna upazila in 2010. Comilla Additional District and Sessions Judge Rozina Khan delivered the judgment after hearing. Also Read: Chandpur man gets death penalty for killing wife for dowry The death row convicts- Md Majnu Mia and Kabir Mia- were tried in absentia. The two convicts were also fined TK 20,000 each. Also Read:Six gets death penalty for killing college teacher in Cumilla According to case details, on July 28, 2010, Abdul Karim, 35, of Bagmara Paschimpara village, was killed and police recovered his body on August 2 from the Titas river. Karim's brother filed a case with Homna Police Station in Comilla against 6 people. Also Read: 23 get death penalty for Rajib murder in Madaripur  

Iran hanged a man who was allegedly behind an attack that killed dozens of people at a military parade in the southern province of Khuzestan in 2018, state media reported on Saturday. The execution was carried out in Tehran after a top court upheld a death sentence for Farajollah Cha’ab in March, Iran's state TV reported. He was “the main person in the terrorist attack” at the parade in September 2018, authorities said, and was arrested by Iranian agents in 2020 after he left Sweden for Turkey. He is alleged to be the leader of a separatist group. Cha’ab, who holds Iranian and Swedish citizenship, disappeared under mysterious circumstances in Turkey in November 2020. In September 2018, militants disguised as soldiers opened fire on an annual military parade in Ahvaz, the capital of oil-rich Khuzestan. At least 25 people were killed and 70 wounded, including a 4-year-old boy. Iran then claimed that Saudi Arabia and Israeli intelligence services supported what it says was an attack by the separatist group.

A Cumilla court on Thursday convicted five people and sentenced them to death for killing a Bangladeshi expatriate in the USA over land dispute in 2017. The condemned convicts are-Lipi Akter, Rahmat Ullah Rony, Kamal Hossain, Tajul Islam and Sajib of Sonaimuri upazila in Noakhali district. Of them, Lipi and Sajib were tried in absentia. Cumilla Additional District and Sessions Judge Nasrin Zahan handed down the punishment. According to the prosecution, Akbar Hossain Babul was found dead in a water body at Mudaffarganj in Laksham upazila on Noakhali-Cumilla regional highway on August 1, 2017 few days after he had returned home from the USA. Also read: Fugitive cop sentenced to 15 years in prison surrenders in court Fatema Begum, wife of Akbar, identified the body. Sheikh Milton Rahman, a sub-inspector of Laksham Police Station, filed a case against five people. Police arrested the five accused and of them, four people gave confessional statements under section 164. After examining the records and witnesses, Cumilla Additional District and Sessions Judge Nasrin Zahan handed down the judgement. END/UNB/Corr/MAS/FH

A Joypurhat court on Tuesday convicted a man and sentenced him to death for killing his pregnant wife in 2007. The condemned convict is identified as Jewel Hossain, son of Jalil Hossain of Khetlal upazila in the district. Judge of the Additional district and Session Judge Court-2, Abbas Uddin pronounced the punishment. The court also fined him Tk 50,000.According to the prosecution, Jewel used to torture his wife Laili Begum for dowry. On July 23, 2007, the couple picked up a quarrel over the issue and at one stage, Jewel strangulated his s wife to death after torture when she was seven-month pregnant. Also read: 2 sentenced to death in absentia for murder in Gopalganj Rabeya Khatun, sister of Laili lodged a complaint against Jewel and Jewel’s parents with Khetlal Police. Police registered a murder case in this connection later. After examining records and witnesses, the court handed down the punishment and acquitted Jewel’s father and mother Lili Begum, as allegations brought against them could not be proved.      

A Kishoreganj court on Tuesday sentenced three people to death and another to life term imprisonment for killing a man in 2013. The condemned convicts are Furkan Bhuiya, 49, Shahed Bhuiya, 39 and Engu Bhuiya, 59 of Katiadi upazila of Kishoreganj district. The lifer is Mostafa Bhuiya, 41. The court also fined him Tk one lakh, in default, to suffer two months more rigorous imprisonment. Kishoreganj Additional District and Sessions Judge Mohammad Jannatul Ferdous Ibne Haque pronounced the judgment. According to the prosecution, Rafiqul Islam alias Ratan Bhuiya was stabbed to death by the convicts on August 29, 2013. A case was filed in this connection. Police submitted chargesheet against five people. Of the chargesheeted accused Jamshed Bhuiya died during the trial proceedings.    

A Cumilla court on Wednesday sentenced a man to death for killing his wife in 2012. The condemned convict is Moazzem Hossain Bhuiya Sumon, 30, son of Sheikh Ahmed Bhuiya of Chouddagram upazila. Cumilla Woman and Child Repression Prevention Tribunal Judge Mohammad Abdullah Al Mamun handed down the punishment. Also Read: Kushtia rape and murder: Condemned convict hanged at Kashimpur Jail The court also fined him Tk 10,000. According to the prosecution, Sumon demanded Tk one lakh from his wife Rozina as dowry. As she refused to provide the money, Sumon stabbed Rozina indiscriminately on February 26, 2012, leaving her dead. Rozina’s sister Sharmin Akter lodged a complaint with Chouddagram Police. Police later registered a case.