DHAKA: Attorney General Mahabube Alam on Wednesday afternoon said there was no legal bar to execute the death sentence of war criminal and also Jamaat leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman as the justices signed the complete copy of the verdict.

He further said as per section 20 (3) of International Crimes (Tribunals) the government would decide about the execution of the verdict.

The Attorney General also said the death sentence, which was issued against him earlier, was postponed due to his review petition. But, the sentence is still in force as the review petition was rejected by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court.

“On behalf of the government, the home ministry will now fix the date and time of the execution of verdict,” he added.

The senior lawyer also said being Kamaruzzaman a war criminal, the ‘jail code’ provision will not be applicable to his case.

Chief Justice (CJ) SK Sinha and three other judges on Wednesday signed the copy of the Appellate Division's verdict on the review petition.

The other members included Justice Abdul Wahab Mia, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique and Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury.

Earlier on April 6, the Appellate Division rejected review petition of Jamaat assistant secretary general Muhammad Kamaruzzaman against its verdict that upheld the death penalty of him.

On March 5, Muhammad Kamaruzzaman filed the review petition with the Supreme Court against its verdict that upheld his death penalty for his crimes against humanity in 1971.

Mahabube Alam also said the court will sent the review rejection verdict to home ministry, deputy commissioner of Dhaka and jail authority through the International Crime Tribunal (ICT).

After receiving the copy of review verdict, the jail authorities will ask Kamaruzzaman whether he will seek presidential mercy.

If he denies or president rejects his mercy petition, then the Home Ministry will fix the time for his execution and the jail authorities will execute him, said the Attorney General.

BDST: 1720 HRS, APR 08, 2015
SR/RR