SC upholds death penalty of Mir Quasem

Supreme Court Appellate Division has rejected the review appeal of Jamaat leader Mir Quasem Ali and upheld his death penalty awarded by the International Crimes Tribunal for crimes against humanity during Liberation War in 1971.

The Appellate Division on Sunday concluded the hearing on the petition filed by the death row convict Jamaat leader seeking review of the earlier verdict of the Appellate Division that upheld his death penalty.

A five-member appeal bench led by chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha conducted the hearing, and finally handed down the verdict in the case today (Tuesday).

The other four members of the panel are: Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, justice Hasan Foyez Siddiqui, justice Mirza Hossain Haider, and justice Muhammad Bazlur Rahman.

Barrister Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem, son of Mir Quasem, on 19 June filed a 68-page review petition with the Appellate Division seeking acquittal of central executive member of Islam-based political party Jamaat-e-Islami.

On 6 June, the SC released the full text of its verdict upholding the death penalty awarded by the International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh to Mir Quasem Ali for the crimes he committed against humanity during the liberation war.

The Appellate Division upheld the death penalty for Mir Quasem Ali for his crimes on 8 March,.

A court of the International Crimes Tribunal, Bangladesh (ICT,B) sentenced Mir Quasem Ali to death on 2 November 2014.

On 30 November 2014, he filed an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the death penalty.

Top Jamaat-e-Islami leader, now 64, was president of the Chittagong town unit of the Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat, till 6 November 1971.

He was then made general secretary of the East Pakistan Chhatra Sangha.