State for Nizami`s death, defence expects acquittal

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam on Tuesday hoped that the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will uphold death for Jamaat ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami for committing crimes against humanity in 1971.

The chief law officer of the state expressed the hope while talking to journalists as the Apex Court today (Tuesday) set January 6 for passing its verdict on appeal filed by 75-year-old Jamaat leader, challenging the death sentence handed down to him by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1.

"We are hopeful that the court will uphold his death sentence pronounced by the tribunal in four specific charges," the attorney general said.

Terming the killing of intellectuals as a crime that has no bound, Mahbubey Alam said, "Death is the only punishment for this crime. There is no alternative but death for this."

On the other hand, chief defence counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain said based on the arguments that he placed before the court. He is expecting that his client will be acquitted from all the charges.

Khandaker Mahbub on December 2 had pleaded to commute Nizami`s death to life imprisonment if he found guilty of committing crimes against humanity by the Apex Court.