Investigation into 35 more cases of crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation in 1971 is going on. "We are now conducting investigation into 35 more cases of crimes against humanity," senior officer Sanaul Haque of the investigation agency of the International Crimes Tribunal told BSS. But he declined to divulge the names of suspected criminals for the sake of investigation, saying, "We are maintaining secrecy to this end so that the criminals could not flee after seeing their names."  "The agency has completed investigation into 36 cases and verdict in 22 cases have already been pronounced by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT). Trials in four more cases are now at final stage while trials in the other cases will start within the shortest possible time," he added. Around 650 allegations of crimes against humanity have so far been submitted to the investigation agency, he informed. Final verdict in seven cases have already been delivered after hearing of appeals against death sentences by the ICT. Execution of the death sentences against Jamaat's two assistant secretary generals Abdul Quader Mollah and Muhammad Kamaruzzaman, secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, and BNP standing committee member Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury has already been completed. The Appellate Division earlier reduced
war crimes convict Delwar Hossain Sayedee's death sentence to 'imprisonment until death'. Both the prosecution and defense filed review petition over the matter. Besides, the Appellate Division on January 6 last upheld the convict's maximum punishment nearly 18 months after the country's International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-BD) handed down Jamaat chief Matiur Rahman Nizami the death penalty. Nizami filed a review petition against the verdict which will be heard today (Sunday) as it has put on the cause list as number 19. While the full verdict of the Appellate Division that upheld death sentences of the ICT against Jamaat leader Mir Kashem Ali will be released soon.
Eight more war crime cases against challenging death sentences by the tribunals are now waiting for hearing at the Appellate Division, court sources said. The eight war criminals are: Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam, and Abdus Sobhan, Awami League sacked leader Mobarak Hossain, Jatiya Party leader and former state minister Syed Mohammad Kawsar, and former lawmaker fugitive engineer Abdul Zabbar, Mahidur Rahman of Chapainawabganj, Sheikh Sirajul Haque alias Siraj Master and Khan Akram Hossain of Bagerhat.