SQ Chy seeks deposition of 8 witnesses during review

Witnesses include five Pakistanis

Death-row convict Salauddin Quader Chowdhury yesterday filed a petition with the Supreme Court for deposition of eight witnesses, including five Pakistani citizens, during hearing of review petition filed by him for reconsideration of his death penalty in connection with wartime offences. Salauddin’s lawyer Advocate Hujjatul Islam Al-Fesani filed petition with the related branch of the apex court.
After filing the petition, Adv. Hujjatul told The Independent that petition has sought the court’s order to summon eight witnesses for deposition. Of the eight, five are Pakistani nationals including Architect Muneeb Arjmand Khan; Dawn Media Group Chairman Amber Haroon Saigol; former Cabinet member Ishaq Khan Khakwani; former head of caretaker government Muhammad Mian Soomro; and Reaz Ahmed Noon. The remaining three witnesses are: former diplomat M. Osman Siddique, who now lives in the US; High Court Judge Shamim Hasnain; and his mother Zinat Ara Begum.
Adv. Hujjatul said petition would be placed before the chamber judge of the apex court on Tuesday for fixing a date for hearing. Later at a press briefing, Salauddin’s principal counsel Advocate Khandakar Mahbub Hossain said that Salauddin would be proven innocent if the court recorded the deposition of eight witnesses. Advocate Khandakar said Salauddin was not in Bangladesh from March 29, 1971 to April 1974 as he had gone to Pakistan to study at Punjab University.

On the other hand, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters that the defence lawyers’ move was “unprecedented” and he would place two petitions before the chamber judge of the Appellate Division on Tuesday for fixing a date for early hearing of review petitions against death-row convicts Salauddin and Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid. Salauddin and Ali on October 14 filed two separate review petitions with the Supreme Court for reconsideration of their death sentences. The very next day, the attorney general filed two petitions with the apex court, seeking early hearing on the review petitions.
On July 17, 2013, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) sentenced Ali to death for killing intellectuals during the Liberation War. Later, Ali moved the Appellate Division against the verdict but the apex court, on June 16, upheld ICT’s verdict. In Salauddin’s case, the then ICT-1 on October 1, 2013, found him guilty of crimes against humanity, including rape and mass killing during the Liberation War and sentenced him to death. On October 29 the same year, Salauddin filed an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the ICT-1 verdict. However the apex court on July 29 this year upheld the ICT-1 verdict. On September 30, the apex court published full verdicts of Salauddin and Ali and they were sent to ICT the same day. The ICT issued death warrants and sent them to jail authorities the following day.

SQ Chy seeks deposition of 8 witnesses during review

Witnesses include five Pakistanis

Death-row convict Salauddin Quader Chowdhury yesterday filed a petition with the Supreme Court for deposition of eight witnesses, including five Pakistani citizens, during hearing of review petition filed by him for reconsideration of his death penalty in connection with wartime offences. Salauddins lawyer Advocate Hujjatul Islam Al-Fesani filed petition with the related branch of the apex court. After filing the petition, Adv. Hujjatul told The Independent that petition has sought the courts order to summon eight witnesses for deposition. Of the eight, five are Pakistani nationals including Architect Muneeb Arjmand Khan; Dawn Media Group Chairman Amber Haroon Saigol; former Cabinet member Ishaq Khan Khakwani; former head of caretaker government Muhammad Mian Soomro; and Reaz Ahmed Noon. The remaining three witnesses are: former diplomat M. Osman Siddique, who now lives in the US; High Court Judge Shamim Hasnain; and his mother Zinat Ara Begum. Adv. Hujjatul said petition would be placed before the chamber judge of the apex court on Tuesday for fixing a date for hearing. Later at a press briefing, Salauddins principal counsel Advocate Khandakar Mahbub Hossain said that Salauddin would be proven innocent if the court recorded the deposition of eight witnesses. Advocate Khandakar said Salauddin was not in Bangladesh from March 29, 1971 to April 1974 as he had gone to Pakistan to study at Punjab University. On the other hand, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters that the defence lawyers move was unprecedented and he would place two petitions before the chamber judge of the Appellate Division on Tuesday for fixing a date for early hearing of review petitions against death-row convicts Salauddin and Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid. Salauddin and Ali on October 14 filed two separate review petitions with the Supreme Court for reconsideration of their death sentences. The very next day, the attorney general filed two petitions with the apex court, seeking early hearing on the review petitions. On July 17, 2013, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) sentenced Ali to death for killing intellectuals during the Liberation War. Later, Ali moved the Appellate Division against the verdict but the apex court, on June 16, upheld ICTs verdict. In Salauddins case, the then ICT-1 on October 1, 2013, found him guilty of crimes against humanity, including rape and mass killing during the Liberation War and sentenced him to death. On October 29 the same year, Salauddin filed an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the ICT-1 verdict. However the apex court on July 29 this year upheld the ICT-1 verdict. On September 30, the apex court published full verdicts of Salauddin and Ali and they were sent to ICT the same day. The ICT issued death warrants and sent them to jail authorities the following day.