The Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty of condemned war criminal Muhammad Kamaruzzaman for killing 144 villagers at Sohagpur village in Sherpur during the 1971 Liberation War.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha passed the order rejecting Kamaruzzaman's review petition on Monday morning.
Kamaruzzaman’s lawyer Shishir Monir said: “We have filed a petition with the jail authorities to meet Kamaruzzaman. After the meeting, we will decide our next step regarding the matter.”
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said: "Kamaruzzaman can file a mercy petition with President Md Abdul Hamid admitting the crimes. The government will decide about his execution after disposal of the petition."
"Kamaruzzaman can file a mercy petition, government will decide about execution after disposal of the petition."
Kamaruzzaman’s lawyers filed the petition on March 5 seeking review of the death penalty upheld by the Appellate Division on November 3 last year.
The International Crimes Tribunal 2 had sentenced the al-Badr leader to death on May 9, 2013 for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
He is the second war crimes convict to file a review petition with the top court. Another Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla was executed on December 12, 2013.
The full text of the Appellate Division judgment was released on February 18 and the International Crimes Tribunal the following day issued a warrant to execute the death sentence.
On November 3, 2014, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court upheld the tribunal verdict that had awarded death sentence to the Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
Kamaruzzaman was shifted to Dhaka Central Jail from Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur after the SC upheld his death penalty.
