Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury has formed a High Court bench to exclusively hear and dispose of cases involving death sentences awarded under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.

According to a directive issued today, Justice Bhishmadev Chakrabortty and Justice KM Rasheduzzaman Raja will sit as a division bench from June 14 to conduct the proceedings.

The bench has been tasked with hearing, on a priority basis, death reference cases involving convictions. It will also deal with all criminal appeals and jail appeals arising from the same judgements, as well as related applications and revision petitions.

Earlier, on June 7, the chief justice told lawyers at the Appellate Division that he would form a dedicated High Court bench to hear death references and appeals in cases involving crimes against women and children, including the rape and murder of eight-year-old Ramisa Akter.

That day, a special court sentenced prime accused Sohel Rana and his wife Swapna Khatun to death for the rape and murder of Ramisa.

A death reference is a mandatory judicial process through which a trial court’s death sentence is sent to the High Court for confirmation before it can be carried out. Convicts sentenced to death also retain the right to appeal against their convictions and sentences.