The paperbook containing all necessary documents for the death reference and appeal hearing of Hitu Sheikh, who was sentenced to death for the rape and murder of child Asiya in Magura, has been prepared.
The paperbook, printed by the government press, reached the Death Reference wing of the High Court on Monday.
Md. Abbas Ali, Deputy Registrar (Criminal-1) of the High Court, confirmed the development to TIMES of Bangladesh.
According to sources, a printed paperbook – which includes the First Information Report (FIR), charge framing, witness testimonies, and the trial court’s judgement – is a prerequisite for the death reference hearing.
Following the completion of administrative formalities in the relevant department, the Chief Justice will assign a High Court bench to hear and resolve the case.
On 17 May last year, the Magura Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal delivered its verdict, sentencing Hitu Sheikh, the victim’s sister’s father-in-law, to death. Three other accused individuals were acquitted in the case.
As per legal requirements, any death sentence passed by a lower court must be confirmed by the High Court, a process known as a Death Reference case.
Consequently, the trial court’s judgement and related documents reached the High Court on 21 May last year to be registered. Hitu Sheikh filed an appeal against the verdict on 25 June last year. On 1 July last year, the High Court accepted the appeal for hearing and stayed the fine imposed by the trial court.
Mohammad Abbas Uddin, the defence lawyer for Hitu Sheikh, told TIMES that after the preliminary hearing that stayed the fine, there had been no further progress.
“We are waiting for the full hearing of the case in the High Court,” he stated.
While death reference hearings generally proceed chronologically – with cases from 2018 currently being heard – the High Court may prioritise certain cases based on their significance.
