Khalaf murder: Saiful’s death sentence upheld on review

The Appellate Division has rejected the review plea filed by Saiful Islam and upheld his death sentence over the murder of Saudi Embassy official Khalaf Al Ali.

A four-member bench led by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain made the decision on Sunday.

The decision brings the proceedings in the case to a close.

However, according to the constitution, the convict may repent his crimes and ask the president for a pardon. If the president rejects the plea there will be no further legal barriers to the execution of Saiful.

Khalaf Al Ali, 45, was shot dead near his home in Dhaka’s Gulshan on Mar 5, 2012.

A murder case was filed with Gulshan police two days after the killing. Four months later, police arrested four suspects, including Saiful, who were introduced as ‘muggers’ in the court.

The Detective Branch of police had submitted the charges on Sep 20, 2012. Another suspect, named Selim Chowdhury, was also charged along with the four suspects who were detained before.

In 2012, Judge Md Motahar Hossain sentenced five people to death over the murder. However, the trial court’s decision was overturned when the convicts appealed and the death reference went to the High Court.

In 2013, the High Court acquitted fugitive Selim Chowdhury, reduced the sentences of Md Al Amin, Akbar Ali Lalu and Rafiqul Islam to life in prison and upheld the death sentence of Saiful Islam.

The suspects had demanded dollars from the Saudi official in a mugging incident that led to a bloody confrontation. Saiful who was carrying a revolver shot Khalaf and ran away, according to the HC’s decision.

The state appealed the decision in 2014.

A three-member bench led by Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah scrapped the appeals from the state and the defence on Nov 1, 2017.

Following the decision, the HC’s sentencing one person to death and three to life in prison were upheld by the Appellate Division. Later Saiful filed the petition seeking a review of the verdict.

The petition was settled on Sunday as the Supreme Court upheld his death sentence.