Supreme Court to decide 7 Sept if Azad can appeal 2013 death sentence
Court will now decide whether Azad can appeal against tribunal verdict despite expiry of 30-day deadline.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will decide on 7 September whether Maulana Abul Kalam Azad can appeal against his death sentence, more than 13 years after he missed the 30-day deadline to challenge the verdict.
A four-member bench fixed the date today (31 August).
The bench comprises Justices Mohammad Rezaul Haque, S M M Emdadul Hoque, Farah Mahbub and Md Habibul Gani.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Under law, a person has 30 days to appeal an International Crimes Tribunal verdict.
Azad was abroad when tribunal delivered its verdict on 21 January 2013. He could not appeal within deadline.
His case was first to receive a verdict after Awami League government began war crimes trials.
Tribunal brought eight charges against him, including murder, rape, abduction, unlawful detention, arson and looting.
Azad was found guilty of seven charges and sentenced to death.
He returned to Bangladesh after 2024 uprising, during interim government.
Azad later applied to Ministry of Home Affairs under Section 401 of Code of Criminal Procedure to suspend his sentence.
Interim government suspended his sentence on 22 October 2025.
Suspension required him to surrender before court and file an appeal.
Azad surrendered before tribunal on 21 January this year, then filed a leave-to-appeal petition before Appellate Division.
Court will now decide whether Azad can appeal against tribunal verdict despite expiry of 30-day deadline.
