The Supreme Court has deferred until February 9 for hearing an appeal by Jamaat-e-Islami’s key financier Mir Quasem Ali, seeking review of his death penalty for war crimes.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division led by Chief Justice SK Sinha fixed the date on Tuesday, responding to a time plea filed by the defence lawyers.
Earlier, the apex court set February 2 for commencing the appeal hearing.
On the 3rd November of 2014, a commander of para militia force al-Badr during the war, Mir Quasem was awarded capital punishment by the International Crimes Tribunal 2.
The tribunal handed down death penalty in two charges for killing seven people, including one Jasim Uddin, after abduction. He was awarded a total of 72-year imprisonment on other charges of abduction, conspiracy and planning. Four charges were not proved.
On November 30, 2014, Quasem Ali appealed to the Supreme Court against the death sentence.
Mir Quasem joined Islami Chhatra Sangha, then student wing of Jamaat, in 1967 while studying at Chittagong Collegiate School. He later became its Chittagong City unit general secretary.
He played an important role in forming al-Badr Bahini that orchestrated systematic killing of freedom fighters and intellectuals.
