The Daily Morning Voice Online Desk: The High Court today commuted the death penalty of Abdul Jalil to life imprisonment in a case filed over killing his wife Malati Begum in Barguna in 2003. The HC bench of Justice Shahidul Karim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman delivered the verdict after holding hearing on the death reference (trial court documents) and Jalil’s appeal. According to the case statement, Abdul Jalil, a day labourer of Bain Chhati at Patharghata upazila in Barguna, killed his wife Matali, 24, by slitting her throat over a family feud on July 24, 2003.

Police recovered her decomposed body by digging under a nearby bush on August 23, 2003. Police filed a murder case with Patharghata Police Station on the same day accusing Abdul Jalil and five of his family members. On May 9 of 2017, Additional District and Sessions Judge of Barguna sentenced Jalil to death and acquitted the five others accused in the case. Jalil’s lawyer M Masud Rana told The Daily Star that his client has been in jail for more than 14 years.

A convict, who is sentenced to life imprisonment, has to serve in jail for a total of 22 years and six months after receiving remission facilities as per an Appellate Division verdict, he said. So, Abdul Jalil will have to serve eight years more in jail, the lawyer said. Deputy Attorney General Bashir Ahmed represented the state during hearing of the death reference and appeal.