Hearing on SQ, Mojaheed`s review pleas Tuesday

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court is scheduled to hold hearings on two pleas, submitted by convicted war criminals Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, seeking review of the Apex Court`s orders that upheld their death sentences for committing crimes against humanity, on Tuesday.

The Supreme Court on November 2 adjourned the hearing on the review pleas of the two convicts till the day.

Rejecting a petition of Salauddin to summon eight witnesses for him and record their statements, the four-member Appellate Division panel headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha adjourned the hearing.

The Apex Court said that the prosecution has been able to prove the fact that Salauddin was present in the country during the War of Liberation. The court also pointed out the fact that Salauddin could not produce any certificate from Punjab University which could prove that he was studying there and was not in Bangladesh.

The Supreme Court on November 2 also adjourned hearing on Jamaat secretary general Mojaheed`s review plea till tomorrow, rejecting a plea seeking its direction upon the government not to harass or arrest his lawyers.

Both Salauddin and Mojaheed filed their respective review pleas on October 14.

On October 1, 2013, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 sentenced Salauddin to death for his crimes against humanity. He lodged appeal against his sentence on October 29, 2013 and the Appellate Division in its verdict on July 29, 2015, upheld the death sentence for him.

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-2 on July 17, 2013 sentenced Mojaheed to death for committing crimes against humanity during the War of Liberation. The Jamaat leader filed an appeal with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on August 12, 2013.

On June 16, 2015, the Appellate Division delivered its judgement, upholding death for the Jamaat secretary general. The Apex Court on September 30 released the full verdict and on October 1 the ICT issued death warrant against the Jamaat leader.