SC verdict on Mir Quasem appeal Mar 8

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday (Wednesday) fixed March 8 for delivering its verdict on an appeal filed by war crimes convict and Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Mir Quasem Ali, challenging his death penalty for wartime offences.
After concluding the hearing on the appeal, the apex court first set March 2 for delivering the verdict, but after sometime it shifted the date to March 8, as the Chief Justice will then be out of the country on an official visit.
A five-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, fixed the date after concluding the appeal hearing from both the sides.
The other members of the bench are Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Mohammad Bazlur Rahman.
During yesterday's hearing, which was for the seventh consecutive day, prosecution lawyer Attorney General (AG) Mahbubey Alam placed his final arguments before the court. The chief law officer of the state prayed to the apex court to uphold Mir Quasem’s death penalty – awarded to him by a war crimes tribunal on November 2, 2014. Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, chief defence counsel, placed his arguments before the apex court, seeking acquittal order for Mir Quasem. Hossain prayed for acquittal, saying that the state counsel had failed to prove the charges.

 Later, Mahbubey Alam told reporters that the apex court would uphold the death penalty, considering Mir Quasem’s crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 War of Liberation.
The chief defence counsel, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, told reporters that they hoped that the apex court would acquit his client, as the prosecution had failed to prove any charges brought against Mir Quasem.  
Earlier, the apex court had fixed February 2 for the hearing on the appeal. However, it was rescheduled to February 9 as the defendants filed a time petition. On January 6, both the defence and the prosecution submitted the concise statements of the appeal to the Appellate Division.
On May 28 and August 18, 2015, the SC asked the defence and the prosecution to submit the concise statements of the appeal.
On November 30, 2014, Mir Quasem filed an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the death penalty awarded to him by the International Crimes Tribunal 2.
In his appeal, Mir Quasem, a member of the Jamaat-e-Islami’s central executive council, cited 181 reasons for acquittal on all charges. The ICT handed down the death penalty on November 2, 2014.
Mir Quasem was president of the Chittagong town unit of the Islami Chhatra Sangha, student wing of the Jamaat, till November 6, 1971. He was then made general secretary of the East Pakistan Chhatra Sangha.
So far, the apex court has handed down its verdicts against five war criminals in war crimes cases. The convicts include Jamaat assistant secretaries general, Quader Molla and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, the party’s Nayeb-e-Amir, Delwar Hossain Sayedee, and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.

SC verdict on Mir Quasem appeal Mar 8

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court yesterday (Wednesday) fixed March 8 for delivering its verdict on an appeal filed by war crimes convict and Jamaat-e-Islami leader, Mir Quasem Ali, challenging his death penalty for wartime offences. After concluding the hearing on the appeal, the apex court first set March 2 for delivering the verdict, but after sometime it shifted the date to March 8, as the Chief Justice will then be out of the country on an official visit. A five-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, fixed the date after concluding the appeal hearing from both the sides. The other members of the bench are Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Mohammad Bazlur Rahman. During yesterdays hearing, which was for the seventh consecutive day, prosecution lawyer Attorney General (AG) Mahbubey Alam placed his final arguments before the court. The chief law officer of the state prayed to the apex court to uphold Mir Quasems death penalty awarded to him by a war crimes tribunal on November 2, 2014. Advocate Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, chief defence counsel, placed his arguments before the apex court, seeking acquittal order for Mir Quasem. Hossain prayed for acquittal, saying that the state counsel had failed to prove the charges. Later, Mahbubey Alam told reporters that the apex court would uphold the death penalty, considering Mir Quasems crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 War of Liberation. The chief defence counsel, Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, told reporters that they hoped that the apex court would acquit his client, as the prosecution had failed to prove any charges brought against Mir Quasem. Earlier, the apex court had fixed February 2 for the hearing on the appeal. However, it was rescheduled to February 9 as the defendants filed a time petition. On January 6, both the defence and the prosecution submitted the concise statements of the appeal to the Appellate Division. On May 28 and August 18, 2015, the SC asked the defence and the prosecution to submit the concise statements of the appeal. On November 30, 2014, Mir Quasem filed an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the death penalty awarded to him by the International Crimes Tribunal 2. In his appeal, Mir Quasem, a member of the Jamaat-e-Islamis central executive council, cited 181 reasons for acquittal on all charges. The ICT handed down the death penalty on November 2, 2014. Mir Quasem was president of the Chittagong town unit of the Islami Chhatra Sangha, student wing of the Jamaat, till November 6, 1971. He was then made general secretary of the East Pakistan Chhatra Sangha. So far, the apex court has handed down its verdicts against five war criminals in war crimes cases. The convicts include Jamaat assistant secretaries general, Quader Molla and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, the partys Nayeb-e-Amir, Delwar Hossain Sayedee, and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury.