DHAKA: The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday (August 30) dismissed the review petition and upheld the death penalty of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali for his crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War of Bangladesh in 1971.

A five-member full bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha pronounced the verdict in the morning.

The other members were: Justices Syed Mahmud Hossain, Hasan Foez Siddique, Mirza Hossain Haidar and Mohammad Bazlur Rahman.

Earlier on August 28, the court fixed Tuesday as the date to hand down the sentence after holding hearing on the review petition filed challenging the death penalty for war crimes convict Mir Quasem Ali, who was known as the money man of Jamaat-e-Islami.

Lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain was moved for Mir Quasem Ali in the court while Attorney General Mahbube Alam moved for the state.

Attorney General Mahbube Alam said: “There is just one step to execute the verdict. Convict Mir Quasem Ali can apply for a presidential pardon admitting his crimes”.

“There won’t be any bar to execute the order if he does not seek for Presidential clemency or if the President does not pardon him for his crimes,” he added.

The attorney general also said seeking Presidential clemency is not a legal step rather this is a right as a citizen of the country.

On March 8, the Appellate Division pronounced a summary verdict upholding the death penalty of Mir Quasem Ali by a three-member panel of International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 led by Justice Obaidul Hassan for his war crimes committed during the Liberation War of Bangladesh 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 62-year-old was the chief of Chittagong unit of Al-Badr, an auxiliary force of Pakistani army during the independence war.

BDST: 0908/0939 HRS, AUG 30, 2016
SR