DHAKA: Supreme Court Appellate Division rejected the review petitions of death row convicts Rashedul Islam and Anwar Hossain in a case filed for killing Kushtia JSD leader Kazi Aref among five.

A 6-member Appellate Division bench led by chief justice Mozammel Hossain passed the order keeping no bar to hang the convicts.

On February 16 in 1999, an armed gang killed the JSD chief Kazi Aref, Kushtia district JSD president Lokman Hossain, general secretary Yakub Ali, local JSD leader Shamsher Ali Mondol and Israil Hossain at a rally at Kalidaspur.

On August 30, 2004, the then additional district and sessions judge Fazlur Rahman pronounced the verdict sentencing 10 people to death and 12 others to life-term imprisonment for the killings.

On 5 August, 2008, a High Court bench upheld the death sentences handed down to 10 accused and acquitted 11 out of 12 who were given life-term imprisonment.

On 8 August, 2011, a Supreme Court bench upheld the death penalty of 10 but Illyas Ali died in jail.

Among the death penalty convicts, four are still absconding, and four languishing in Kushtia and Chuadanga jails.

The four in jails are Anwar Hossain, Jhantu, Habiur Rahman alias Habi and Sahir Uddin, while Mannan Mollah, Bashar, Rawsan and Baker are on the run.

BDST: 1146 HRS, NOV 19, 2014