The Appellate Division has postponed the hearing on whether the appeal filed by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War, is admissible.
A four-member bench led by Justice Md Rezaul Haque passed the order on Tuesday. The court had scheduled the hearing for Tuesday but deferred it again.
Senior lawyer Ehsan A Siddique represented Azad in the court, while Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam appeared for the prosecution.
The Appellate Division cautioned the chief prosecutor against making comments on the pending matter at this stage.
Later, Aminul Islam said the Appellate Division would remain closed for vacation from September 16 to October 24. The court subsequently fixed the hearing for four weeks after it resumes.
On January 21, 2013, the International Crimes Tribunal sentenced former Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami member Abul Kalam Azad to death in absentia for crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.
The verdict was the first delivered by the tribunal in a case involving crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War.
Azad, who became known for appearing on Islamic programs on various private television channels, was accused of committing crimes against humanity in different parts of Faridpur during the war.
After remaining at large for years, Azad surrendered to the International Crimes Tribunal on January 21 this year. The then president had suspended his death sentence for one year on the condition that he surrender and file an appeal.
Following his surrender, the International Crimes Tribunal-2 ordered that the necessary documents be provided for his appeal.
Lawyer Mashiul Alam represented Azad before the court. He said the tribunal had sentenced Azad to death in 2013 and that the president later suspended the sentence for one year following an appeal, subject to his surrender and filing an appeal.
He said the Home Ministry issued a notification to this effect on October 22 and that Azad subsequently surrendered. The tribunal accepted his surrender and ordered that he be provided with the necessary documents to pursue his appeal.
