DHAKA: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday ordered both the defence and prosecution to submit a summary on the appeal filed by convicted war criminal Mir Quasem Ali within next four weeks.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice SK Sinha issued the order in the morning.

Other members of the bench are Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Hasan Foez Siddique.

The SC bench also said proceedings of the appeal hearing will begin even if any party fails to submit the summary within the given time.

Advocate on record Zoynul Abedin moved for the defence.

On April 22, the Appellate Division asked both the defence and state counsel to submit the summary on the appeal plea on May 20. But the court fixed the date as both the parties failed to submit the summary.

On November 30 of 2014, Al-Badr commander Mir Quasem Ali appealed against the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) verdict, seeking acquittal from the charges after pleading not guilty.

Earlier on November 2, the ICT-2 sentenced to death for his atrocities in Chittagong during the Liberation War in 1971.

As per the verdict, Mir Quasem Ali was proved guilty in 10 charges out of 14.  The charge numbers are: 2, 3, 4, 6, 7,9,10, 11, 12 and 14.

The charges for which he has been awarded death penalty are:

11th Charge: Abduction of six persons including Shaheed Jasim and torturing them in confinement from the day of Eid-ul-Fitr in 1971 to November 28, 1971, subsequently killing them and concealing their bodies.

12th Charge: Abduction of Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Tuntu Sen and Ranjit Das alias Latu and torturing them in confinement, looting and setting their houses on fire, later killing Ranjit and Tuntu in November 1971.

Besides, Quasem was sentenced 20 years of imprisonment in the 2nd charge, 10 years in 14th charge and 7 years in 3rd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 9th and 10th charges each.

The eight other charges for which he was given imprisonment are:

2nd Charge: Quasem led the abduction, confinement and torture of Lutfar Rahman Faruq on November 19, 1971 and killed him at Dalim Holet.

3rd Charge: He led the abduction of Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on either November 22 or 23 and tortured him in confinement until December 16.

4th charge: Al Badr Bahini abducted Salauddin Khan tortured him in Dalim Hotel.

6th Charge: Quasem abducted Harun-or-Rashid from a tea stall, tortured Harun at Dalim Hotel and Salma Manzil.

7th Charge: A group of 6/7 people led by Quasem abducted two men including M Sanaullah Chowdhury and others.

9th Charge: He abducted Syed M Emran and five others on November 29, 1971 and tortured them in confinement until December 16, 1971.

10th Charge: The Jamaat leader abducted M Zakaria and three others on November 29, 1971 and tortured them in confinement until December 16, 1971.

14th Charge: Abducting and killing Nasiruddin Chowdhury and torturing him.

BDST: 1146 HRS, MAY 28, 2015
SR/SMS