Staff Reporter :
The hearing of the review petition of the death-row convict, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman will start at the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today (Monday).
The Chamber Judge of the Appellate Division Justice Hasan Foez Sidddique fixed the date on Sunday.
The defence, on the other hand, also filed a time petition seeking four weeks time before the review petition, Kamaruzzaman’s counsel Advocate Shishir Munir said. “We have already submitted a time petition, seeking four weeks time to start the review petition for Kamaruzzaman as our senior lawyer Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain will not be available to take part in the arguments during that time,” he said. “Hopefully, the Appellate Division will accept our prayer and give us four weeks time to prepare our defence,” he said.
Four judges of the Appellate Division — Chief Justice SK Sinha, Justice Md Abdul Wahhab Miah, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique and Justice AHM Shamsuddin Choudhury – earlier upheld the death sentence of Kamaruzzaman by a 3-1 majority decision.
Kamaruzzaman was sentenced to death by the International Crimes Tribunal-2 for his involvement in the crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
The 63-year-old convict was found guilty of different crimes including murder, extermination, torture, rape, confinement, conversion and deportation in Sherpur area during the war of independence. Kamaruzzaman, an Al Badr commander of 1971, filed the review petition on March 5, seeking a review of the Appellate Division’s judgement regarding his death sentence.
