DHAKA: There was no legal bar to execute war crimes convict Quader Mollah as the full bench of the Supreme Court appellate division Thursday rejected the plea to file a review petition challenging the verdict.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam informed the press immediately after the apex court had rejected the plea.

He added that there is no scope of filing mercy petition.

The five-member full bench led by Chief Justice M Mojammel Hossen passed the order after second day’s hearing.

The other judges are Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, Justice Abdul Wahhab Miah, Justice Hasan Foyej Siddique and Justice AHM Shamsuddin Chowdhury.

Defense lawyer Barrister Abdur Razzak started the hearing for the convicted war criminal Quader Mollah at 9:15am.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Supreme Court adjourned till Thursday the hearing.

Earlier in the morning, the hearing on the stay order in the execution of Jamaat leader Quader Mollah, convicted in war crime cases was held in the full bench of appellate division of Supreme Court.

On Tuesday night, Supreme Court Chamber Judge Syed Mahmud Hossain stayed the execution of Quader Mollah till 10:30am Wednesday.

MK Rahman, also the coordinator of International Crimes tribunal (ICT) prosecutions, said, “We did not receive any notice regarding the move of the defense counsels that they were going to appeal seeking a stay order on Mollah’s execution though we are the appellate authority of ICT.”

“However, the court can give order on its own and we will fight in the court,” He added.

Earlier, the state Attorney General Advocate Mahbubey Alam also expressed astounded to banglanews as he was not informed about the stay order.

He said, “No state counsel was present at the chamber judge’s house when he heard the petition of Mollah’s counsels.”

Earlier on Tuesday, State Minister for Home Affairs Advocate Shamsul Haque Tuku categorically said Jamaat leader Quader Mollah, convicted in war crimes cases, and would be executed at 12.01pm night.

The minister came up with the assertion while talking to journalists at the residence of State Minister for Law Advocate Quamrul Islam at Mintoo Road in the city in evening.

BDST: 1230 HRS, DEC 12, 2013
Edited by: Shameem Reza, Newsroom Editor/Rubaiat Saky, Senior Newsroom Editor