Dhaka: The Supreme Court on Tuesday commuted the death penalty of two convicts to imprisonment until death with an observation that ‘life imprisonment means sentence until death’.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice SK Sinha, passed the order after rejecting the petitions of the convicts.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said, “According to the Appellate Division order, life imprisonment doesn’t mean 30 years’ imprisonment; rather it’s until death.”

He, however, said it will be clear in the full verdict whether this judgment is applicable for other convicts.

The two convicted accused are Ataur Mridha and Anwar.

On December 16, 2001, Zaman Yeasmin was shot to death by some miscreants in Savar. Police submitted chargesheet against three people—Anwar, Ataur Mridha and Kamrul on July 27, 2002.

On October 15, 2003, a Dhaka’s Speedy Trial Tribunal sentenced them to death. Of them, Anwar and Ataur filed appeals challenging their death penalty.

Senior Lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain and Mansurul Haq Chowdhury stood for the petitioners while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Assistant Attorney General Bashir Ahmed represented the state.