SC accepts Azharul's leave to appeal, hearing on Apr 22

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has granted a rehearing for Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam’s leave to appeal against his death sentence in a crimes-against-humanity case. 

The court, led by Chief Justice Dr Syed Refaat Ahmed, scheduled the hearing for April 22 during a review petition session on Wednesday.

The decision follows a partial hearing of Azharul’s review appeal on Tuesday, February 25, which marked the second day of proceedings after an initial session ordered by the same bench on Sunday, February 23. 

The court had previously slated February 20 for the review, listing it as item nine on a five-judge bench’s agenda, but it was deferred when time ran out due to earlier cases.

Azharul, sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal on December 30, 2014, appealed the verdict on January 28, 2015. 

The Appellate Division, then under Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, upheld the sentence on October 31, 2019, with the full ruling released on March 15, 2020. 

On July 19, 2020, Azharul filed a 23-page review petition with 14 arguments, seeking to overturn the decision—a plea now advancing to its next chapter in April.