DHAKA:  Death row convict Salauddin Quader Chowdhury filed a petition to the Supreme Court (SC) seeking permission for giving deposition of seven witnesses, including five foreigners, for him during the review hearing.

Advocate on record Joynul Abedin Tuhin submitted the petition in the department concerned of the appellate division on Monday morning.

According to SQ Chowdhury’s lawyer Huzzatul Islam Khan Al Fesani, of them, four are Pakistanis, one US citizen and two others Bangladeshis.

Pakistani citizens are former caretaker prime minister Mohammad Mian Soomroo, former rail minister Ishak Khan, Khakwani Dawn Group chairman Amber Haroon Saigol and a social worker Munib Arjamand Khan.

Others are former US ambassador to Fiji Osman Siddik and Bangladesh SC judge Shamim Hasnain and one Zinnat Ara Begum.

Shamim Hasnain earlier sought court permission to give his deposition for SQ Chowdhury. But the court rejected the petition.

On October 14, convicted war criminal BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury submitted a review petition for his verdict over crimes against humanity during the country’s war of independence in 1971.

On September 30, the full verdict of the Supreme Court that upheld the death sentences that the International Crimes Tribunal handed down to Chowdhury was published.

BDST: 1525 HRS, OCT 19, 2015
RS/RR/SMS