The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday concluded the hearing on an appeal filed afresh by Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam, challenging his death penalty.
Previously, a Dhaka tribunal awarded the former assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami the death sentence on charge of committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
The apex court also set May 27 this year for delivering the verdict on the appeal.
A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, passed the order.
Advocate Mohammad Shishir Manir, who appeared in the court proceedings representing the Jamaat leader, said former chief justice SK Sinha's book "A Broken Dream" provides evidence suggesting that the verdicts awarded by tribunals against Jamaat leaders, including ATM Azharul Islam, were orchestrated and pre-planned.
This is the first case filed on charge of committing crimes against humanity in which the apex court has allowed the original appeal to be heard upon a review petition.
In a verdict delivered on October 31 in 2019 during Sheikh Hasina's regime, the then Appellate Division bench upheld Azharul's death sentence in the case.
International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on December 30, 2014, sentenced Azhar with death penalty on charge of committing crimes against humanity in Rangpur during the Liberation War.
On January 28, 2015, Azhar filed the appeal petition with the Appellate Division challenging the verdict, where he claimed himself innocent and prayed to the Appellate Division to acquit him of the charges.
A four-member bench, headed by the then chief justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, delivered the verdict by majority opinion nearly five years after the conviction by ICT.
Later, he filed a review petition against the verdict delivered by the apex court.
On February 26 this year, the apex court, considering the review petition, allowed Azharul to move a fresh appeal petition before the court challenging his death penalty.
ATM Azhar is now in jail since August 22 in 2012 after he has been arrested.
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