News Flash
DHAKA, April 21, 2025 (BSS)- The appeal filed by Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam challenging his conviction and death sentence pronounced in a case filed over crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in 1971, is likely to be heard by the apex court tomorrow as the Appellate Division ordered to bring the matter on its cause list for that day.
A three-member apex court bench headed by Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury passed the order today as the defence pleaded for holding a hearing.
Barrister Ehsan A Siddique and Advocate Shishir Mohammad Manir argued for the convict, while Attorney General Md Asaduzzaman stood for the state. Advocate Gazi MH Tamim was present for the prosecution of the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT), which initially convicted and sentenced ATM Azharul Islam in the case.
The Appellate Division on February 26 granted his leave to appeal petition, asking the defence to submit the summary of their appeal case within a week and the prosecution to submit a summary of their case within the next two weeks after that. It also had set April 22 for holding a hearing on the appeal.
The ICT-1 on December 30, 2014, sentenced Azhar to death for his crimes against humanity in Rangpur during the War of Liberation. The tribunal, in its judgment, said it found him guilty of five of the total six charges it had framed against him.
ATM Azharul Islam filed the appeal against his conviction on January 28, 2015.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on October 31, 2019, pronounced its judgment, upholding the death sentence of ATM Azharul Islam. On March 25, 2020, the apex court released the full text of that judgment.
