SC to hear Mujahid, SQ Chy review pleas Nov 2

The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday fixed November 2 for hearing two separate review petitions filed by death-row convicts Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, seeking reconsideration of their death penalties for wartime offences.
Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, chamber judge of Appellate Division, fixed the date for hearing of review petitions at full bench of the apex court.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha will start hearing the review petitions on November 2.
Following government petitions filed by the Attorney General seeking early hearing of review petitions, the chamber bench of the apex court came up with the order.
The chamber bench also sent another petition filed by Salauddin to the full bench of the apex court, urging the Supreme Court to record statements of eight persons including five Pakistani nationals.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam appeared for state prosecution while Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain moved for defense.
Coming out of the chamber court, Advocate Khandaker told reporters that review petitions would come up at the “cause list” of the apex court on November 2 for hearing. “We hope that the apex court will consider our petitions and revise its verdicts,” he said. He also hoped that the apex

court would consider Salauddin’s petition urging it to record the statements of eight witnesses.
On the other hand, Attorney General Mahbubey said there was limited scope for review of the apex court verdict. “The apex court rarely reviews its verdicts. So, scope is limited for the appellants,” he said. On deposition of more witnesses, he noted that the court completed recording of witness statements during trial proceedings and usually at the final stage, there was no scope to have any more depositions. The attorney general was quick to add however that the matter was now in the hands of the apex court and if it wanted to take the deposition, it could do so.
Both Ali and Salauddin had on October 14 filed separate review petitions with the Supreme Court for reconsideration of their death penalties for wartime offences.  Ali’s counsel, Advocate Shishir Munir, had submitted the 38-page review petition before the Supreme Court which contained 32 grounds for reconsideration. Thereafter, Salauddin’s lawyer, Hujjatul Islam Khan Alfesani, had filed a similar 108-page petition before the SC containing 10 grounds for reconsideration. Later, Principal Counsel for both convicts, Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain had, at a press briefing, said that the apex court would release Ali and Salauddin if it considered their review petitions properly. Regarding Ali’s petition, Khandaker had said that they annexed fresh evidence in the review showing that the Al-Badr force was operated and led by Pakistan military and thus, Ali was not its commander. About Salauddin’s review petition, Khandaker had said that Salauddin was a student of Punjab University during the Liberation War and was not present in the country at the time.
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 the tribunal’s verdict. On July 29, the apex court upheld the verdict of the then International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) which condemned Salauddin to death for committing crimes against humanity, including rape and mass killing, during the Liberation War, 43 years ago. On October 1, 2013, the then ICT-1 found Salauddin guilty of crimes against humanity during the Liberation War and condemned 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.

 

SC to hear Mujahid, SQ Chy review pleas Nov 2

The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday fixed November 2 for hearing two separate review petitions filed by death-row convicts Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, seeking reconsideration of their death penalties for wartime offences. Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, chamber judge of Appellate Division, fixed the date for hearing of review petitions at full bench of the apex court. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha will start hearing the review petitions on November 2. Following government petitions filed by the Attorney General seeking early hearing of review petitions, the chamber bench of the apex court came up with the order. The chamber bench also sent another petition filed by Salauddin to the full bench of the apex court, urging the Supreme Court to record statements of eight persons including five Pakistani nationals. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam appeared for state prosecution while Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain moved for defense. Coming out of the chamber court, Advocate Khandaker told reporters that review petitions would come up at the cause list of the apex court on November 2 for hearing. We hope that the apex court will consider our petitions and revise its verdicts, he said. He also hoped that the apex court would consider Salauddins petition urging it to record the statements of eight witnesses. On the other hand, Attorney General Mahbubey said there was limited scope for review of the apex court verdict. The apex court rarely reviews its verdicts. So, scope is limited for the appellants, he said. On deposition of more witnesses, he noted that the court completed recording of witness statements during trial proceedings and usually at the final stage, there was no scope to have any more depositions. The attorney general was quick to add however that the matter was now in the hands of the apex court and if it wanted to take the deposition, it could do so. Both Ali and Salauddin had on October 14 filed separate review petitions with the Supreme Court for reconsideration of their death penalties for wartime offences. Alis counsel, Advocate Shishir Munir, had submitted the 38-page review petition before the Supreme Court which contained 32 grounds for reconsideration. Thereafter, Salauddins lawyer, Hujjatul Islam Khan Alfesani, had filed a similar 108-page petition before the SC containing 10 grounds for reconsideration. Later, Principal Counsel for both convicts, Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain had, at a press briefing, said that the apex court would release Ali and Salauddin if it considered their review petitions properly. Regarding Alis petition, Khandaker had said that they annexed fresh evidence in the review showing that the Al-Badr force was operated and led by Pakistan military and thus, Ali was not its commander. About Salauddins review petition, Khandaker had said that Salauddin was a student of Punjab University during the Liberation War and was not present in the country at the time. 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 the tribunals verdict. On July 29, the apex court upheld the verdict of the then International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) which condemned Salauddin to death for committing crimes against humanity, including rape and mass killing, during the Liberation War, 43 years ago. On October 1, 2013, the then ICT-1 found Salauddin guilty of crimes against humanity during the Liberation War and condemned 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.