The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday deferred the hearing of appeals in the murder case of former Awami League lawmaker Ahsanullah Master until 11 August.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by the Chief Justice, passed the order after the second day of hearing in the long-running case.
Additional Attorney General Muhammad Abdul Jabbar Bhuiyan appeared for the state, while Advocate SM Shahjahan represented the accused.
Shahjahan said the hearing began on 28 July and that the defence was presenting the paper book before the court.
The proceedings were adjourned after Sunday’s hearing and will resume on 11 August, he added.
Ahsanullah Master, a freedom fighter, teacher and labour leader, was elected as a member of parliament from Gazipur-2 constituency in 1996 and 2001.
He was shot dead on 7 May, 2004, while attending a public meeting at the ground of MA Majid Mia High School in Noagaon area of Gazipur.
The Speedy Trial Tribunal delivered its verdict in the murder case on 16 April, 2005, sentencing 22 people, including BNP leader Nurul Islam Sarkar, to death and six others to life imprisonment.
Two of the death-row convicts later died.
Following the trial court verdict, the case was sent to the High Court as a death reference, while the convicts also filed appeals and jail appeals challenging the judgment.
On 15 June, 2016, a High Court bench comprising Justice Obaidul Hassan and Justice Krishna Debnath delivered its verdict, upholding the death sentences of six convicts and life imprisonment terms of two others.
The High Court commuted the death sentences of seven convicts to life imprisonment and acquitted 11 others who had been sentenced to death. It also acquitted four convicts who had received life imprisonment from the trial court.
The six convicts whose death sentences were upheld are Nurul Islam Sarkar, Nurul Islam Dipu, Mahbubur Rahman Mahbub, Shahidul Islam Shipu, Hafiz alias Kana Hafiz and Sohag alias Shoru. Among them, Shipu died at Kashimpur Central Jail on 4 January.
The life sentences of Tipu and Nurul Amin were upheld, while seven others had their death sentences reduced to life imprisonment.
They are Md Ali, Syed Ahmed Hossain Majnu, Anwar Hossain alias Anu, Ratan Mia alias Boro Mia Ratan, Jahangir alias Choto Jahangir, Abu Salam alias Salam, and Mashiur Rahman alias Monu.
Meanwhile, Amir Hossain, Jahangir alias Boro Jahangir, Faisal, Rony Mia alias Rony Fakir, Khokon, Lokman, and Dulal Mia were acquitted of the death sentences.
The case is now pending before the Appellate Division following appeals filed by the convicted accused against the High Court verdict.
