United News of Bangladesh

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court  will deliver its judgment on the appeal petition challenging the death penalty of Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam in a case over crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed fixed the date on May 8 after closing the hearing on the petition. Earlier on April 22, the Appellate Division stayed the hearing of a review petition submitted by Azharul Islam in the case till May 6. Lawyers Ahsan A Siddik and Mohammad Shishir Manir stood for Azharul Islam in the court during the hearing. Following his arrest, Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azhar faced nine charges of “crimes against humanity”. SC sets May 27 for delivering judgment on Azharul’s appeal According to the chargesheet, he was “responsible” for killing 1,256 people, abducting 17, and raping 13 women during the Liberation War in Rangpur region. Besides, he was said to have tortured civilians, set fire to hundreds of houses and committed other atrocities. The International Crimes Tribunal sentenced him to death on December 30, 2014, in five out of the nine charges. On January 28, 2015, the death-row convict submitted a petition to the Appellate Division claiming his innocence. Later, on July 19, 2020, Azharul Islam filed the review petition with the relevant branch of the Appellate Division. Following an appeal hearing, the Appellate Division under a bench led by then-Chief Justice Syed Mahmud upheld the death penalty in a verdict delivered on October 23, 2019. Top court halts Jamaat leader Azharul’s review petition hearing again The full text of the Appellate Division’s verdict was released on March 15, 2020, after which ATM Azhar submitted the review petition.

International Crimes Tribunal on Tuesday (September 13, 2022) sentenced fugitive criminal Md Khalilur Rahman from Netrakona for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War of 1971. A three-member tribunal led by Justice Shahinur Islam pronounced the death sentence. Public Prosecutor Rana Dasgupta and Rezia Sultana represented the state during the hearing while state appointed lawyer Gazi MH Tamim appeared for the accused. Also read: 5 get death sentence for raping teenage girl in Khulna PP Rezia Sultana said three of the four accused in this case died during the trial. The tribunal gave death sentence to Khalilur, then commander of Al Badr, in his absence on Tuesday as he has been absconding, said the PP. On January 30, 2017, in a press briefing of the probe agency final report on the accused was published. Also read: 2 sentenced to death in absentia for murder in Gopalganj At first the case had five accused but one of them, Ramzan Ali, died before the trial began. Other three accused that died during the trial were Khalilur’s brother Azizur Rahman, Ashq Ali and Md Shahnewaz, all residents of Noagaon union in Netrakona. Charges of illegal detention, torture, abduction, looting, arson, vandalism, attempted rape, rape, murder and genocide in 1971 were brought against the accused in this case. Read Fugitive death-row war criminal held in city The charge sheet mentioned that 22 people were killed, one was raped, one attempted rape, two of the four abducted being tortured in a camp, 14 or 15 houses being looted and arson at seven houses. Death row convict Khalilur was a member of Islami Chhatra Sangha who joined the Razakar forces during the war. Later, he became commander of Al Badr in Chandigarh union. He was known to be a supporter of Jamaat-e-Islami.