Appeal hearing of Jamaat leader ATM Azharul set for tomorrow
The Appellate Division has scheduled the hearing of Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam's appeal against his death sentence for crimes against humanity for tomorrow (22 April).
The order was issued today (21 April) by a bench headed by Justice Zubayer Rahman, after the appeal was placed before the court.
Senior lawyer Ehsan A Siddique submitted the application, and lawyer Shishir Monir confirmed the development.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Earlier, on 26 February, the Appellate Division, led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, granted leave to appeal against the death sentence.
The appeal concerns a case in which ATM Azharul Islam, former assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, was convicted of crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War in the Rangpur region.
ATM Azhar was found guilty of six categories of crimes against humanity, including genocide, murder, abduction, rape, torture, and arson.
On 30 December 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced him to death on charges 2, 3, and 4. He was also given 25 years' imprisonment on charge 5 for abduction, torture, and rape, and five years on charge 6 for torture.
After hearing his appeal, the Appellate Division upheld the death sentence on 31 October 2019. A four-member bench led by then Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain delivered the judgment.
The court upheld the sentences on charges 2, 3, 4 (based on majority opinion), and 6, and acquitted him of charge 5.
On that day, late senior lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain represented the defence, while late Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the prosecution.
The full text of the Appellate Division's judgment was released on 15 March 2020. ATM Azharul Islam filed a review petition on 19 July 2020, raising 14 grounds across 23 pages.
Following the hearing of that petition, the Appellate Division on 26 February granted leave to appeal and instructed that a summary of the appeal be submitted within two weeks. The appeal has since been prepared and will be heard tomorrow.
