The Supreme Court yesterday fixed April 1 for hearing a petition filed by Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman seeking review of the top court’s verdict that upheld his death sentence given by a war crimes tribunal.
A four-member bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha fixed the date allowing an adjournment petition submitted by the defence.
A defence lawyer filed the time petition on Sunday seeking four weeks’ time on behalf of Khandker Mahbub Hossain, senior counsel for the convicted war criminals, mentioning that Mahbub would not be able to take part in the hearing for personal reasons.
BNP chief Khaleda Zia’s Adviser Mahbub is also the president of Supreme Court Bar Association, which last month announced to boycott court hearings during the BNP-led 20-party alliance’s blockade and hartal programmes.
When contacted, Mahbub yesterday told the Dhaka Tribune that they relaxed the boycott since the SCBA had not adopted a resolution on the matter.
Kamaruzzaman’s lawyers filed the review petition on March 5.
The International Crimes Tribunal 2 sentenced the Jamaat leader to death on May 9, 2013. The war criminal appealed against the judgement after a month.
On November 3 last year, the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence. The full text of the judgement was released on February 18 and the tribunal issued a warrant to execute the death sentence of Kamaruzzaman the following day.
“If the apex court dismisses the review petition, Kamaruzzaman can seek presidential mercy to save his neck,” Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said earlier.
War criminal and Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla was executed on December 12, 2013 after completion of all legal procedures. He did not seek presidential mercy.
