DHAKA: The appellate division of the Supreme Court has fixed June 18 for hearing the appeals of two  convicts who were sentenced to death for crimes against humanity in 1971 liberation war of Bangladesh.

The two death row convicts are Jamaat leader ATM Azhar and former Jatiya Party minister Syed Mohammad Kaiser.

A four-member appeal bench led by the Chief Justice passed the order on Wednesday (April 10). 

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam moved for the state while Khandkar Mahbub Hossain and SM Shahjahan moved for the convicts in court.

Earlier on Aug 30 in 2016, the appellate division rejected a plea filed by Jamaat leader Mir Kashem Ali and the appellate division held no other appeal hearing since then. 

One year later on Aug 13, the appellate division takes the case of Jamaat leader General ATM Azhar, former Jatiya Party minister Syed Mohammad Kaiser in hand.

Both the convicted war criminals filed appeals seeking acquittals from the charges within a month of the verdict. The SC set Oct 10, 2017 for appeal hearings. 

Later, it deferred hearing the appeals till November 21 of that year.  But the appeals appeared on the apex court’s cause list on Wednesday.   

ATM Azhar

On Dec 30 in 2014, International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced ATM Azhar to death by hanging along with 30 years in jail for his role as commander of Rangpur district Al-Badr Bahini during the war. Later on Jan 28 in 2015, he filed for appeal against the verdict.
  
Mohammad Kaisar

On Dec 23 in 2014, International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced Kaisar to death along with 22 years in jail for his role as Rajakar commander and Shanti Committee member in Habiganj during the war humanity. Later on January 19 in 2015, he appealed against the verdict.

BDST: 1257 HRS, APR 10, 2017
RS