Staff Reporter : The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) fixed Tuesday to deliver the verdict of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali seeking review of its earlier verdict that upheld his death penalty for crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971. A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha fixed the date after conclusion of the arguments placed by both the prosecution and the defence of the review appeal. Khandker Mahbub Hossain, Chief Defence Counsel of Mir Quasem Ali said, “The prosecution could not prove that Mir Quasem Ali himself was involved with the murder of Freedom Fighter Jasim at Dalim Hotel in Chittagong. As it was not proved that he was the prime offender, the capital punishment could be reduced.” “Mir Quasem Ali is a social worker. He did many beneficiary activities for the society. He is a well known personality in the country as well as in the world,” said Khandker Mahbub. Chief Justice expressed his disappointment with the efficiency of the prosecutor and urged the government to appoint apt prosecutors for the very sensitive cases as the verdicts would be discussed at home and abroad. Attorney General Mabubey Alam represented the State. “Mir Quasem Ali was all in all at the Dalim Hotel. Whatever happened there, it was his direction. The defence cannot deny that. We hope that the earlier verdict will be upheld,” he said to the reporters. The former Al-Badr commander was found guilty by the International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) and the death penalty was awarded on November 2, 2014. The court found him guilty in 10 charges out of 14. The SC released the full text of its verdict upholding the death penalty awarded by the ICT-2.He filed an appeal with the SC challenging the verdict on November 30, 2014. Barrister Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem, son of Mir Quasem Ali, filed a 68-page review petition with the Appellate Division seeking acquittal on June 19 this year. The apex court held a hearing on the review and fixed August 30 to deliver the review verdict. Once the review petition is resolved and the death sentence is upheld, Mir Quasem Ali will have the opportunity to seek a presidential clemency. If rejected, the government will order the jail authority to execute the verdict. Mir Quasem was the third important functionary after Jamaat-e-Islami chief Motiur Rahman Nizami and Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid. Both Nizami and Mujahid were executed for their crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971. Police arrested him from his ‘Naya Diganta’ newspaper officer hours after the tribunal issued arrest warrant on June 17, 2012. Top Jamaat-e-Islami financier was the President of the Chittagong town unit of Islami Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat-e-Islam till November 6, 1971. He was then made general secretary of the East Pakistan Chhatra Sangha.
