Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman has said that he personally opposes the death penalty from a human rights perspective, while acknowledging that public sentiment surrounding brutal crimes often creates significant challenges for any discussion on abolishing capital punishment.
Speaking at a seminar titled “Legal Representation in Death Penalty Cases in Bangladesh: An Empirical and Conceptual Analysis” at University of Dhaka on Wednesday, the minister said his long-standing position has been against the death penalty. However, he noted that particularly gruesome crimes against children have shaped public expectations regarding punishment and justice.
Referring to the widely discussed Ramisa and Asiya cases, he said incidents involving the rape and murder of young children generate strong public demands for the harshest punishment, leaving little room for opposition to such calls. He added that moral and legal debates often become secondary in the face of intense public outrage.
The minister highlighted the handling of the Ramisa case, saying the accused was arrested within seven hours and DNA testing was completed within 72 hours. Despite the speed of the investigation and corroborative evidence, he stressed that authorities still had to follow due legal procedures and uphold the rule of law.
Asaduzzaman also defended the principle that every accused person is entitled to legal representation, regardless of the nature of the allegations. He noted that a state-appointed defence lawyer in the Ramisa case faced criticism on social media simply for representing the accused, despite performing a fundamental role within the justice system.
The minister said Bangladesh succeeded in completing a fair trial in the case within six working days, but acknowledged that lengthy delays often occur once death penalty cases reach higher courts due to backlogs and delays in preparing paper books.
He further said the government is working to address those challenges and has strengthened legal aid services nationwide. Legal Aid Committees have been established in every district, while legal aid lawyers have been incorporated into the system to ensure access to justice for all accused persons.
According to the minister, decisions in the justice system must be guided by legal correctness rather than popularity, even when public pressure is intense.
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