DHAKA: The Supreme Court (SC) Appellate Division on Tuesday deferred the hearing on review petition filed challenging the death penalty for war crimes convict Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.

The Division said it would not hold the hearing today (Tuesday) as the defence lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain sought adjournment of hearing for today.

A 4-member full bench of the Division headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha took the decision about the review hearing.

The other members include Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique and Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain.

On July 17 of 2013, International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 handed down death sentence to Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Mujahid. Later, he appealed against the verdict on August 11 of that year.

On the other hand, on October 1 of 2013, ICT-1 awarded death sentence to Salauddin Quader Chowdhury. The BNP leader also appealed against the ICT verdict on October 29 of that year.

The Appellate Division upheld the ICT verdicts against Mujahid on June 16 and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury on July 29 for their crimes against humanity during the country’s war of independence in 1971.

The full verdict was published on September 30. Later on October 1, Dhaka Central Jail authorities read out the verdicts to both the convicts.

On October 14, both Salahuddin Quader and Mujahid submitted review petitions of those verdicts separately.

BDST: 1319 HRS, NOV 17, 2015
SR/RR/SMS