Verdict of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury’s appeal against death sentence on July 29

The verdict of an appeal by BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury against his death sentence for war crimes will be given on Jul 29.

The four-member appeals bench led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha finished the hearing on Tuesday and fixed the date for verdict.

The other members of the bench are Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Hasan Foez Siddique.

The first war crimes tribunal on Oct 1, 2013 sentenced Chittagong’s wartime terror Salauddin Quader Chowdhury to death for crimes “that shake the collective conscience of mankind”.

He was found guilty of murdering Kundeshwari Oushadhalaya owner Nutan Chandra Singha, genocide of Hindus at Sultanpur and Unsattar Parha, and abduction and murder of a Hathazari Awami League leader and his son Sheikh Alamgir.

Chowdhury was the first sitting MP to be convicted of war crimes. The BNP Standing Committee member challenged the verdict in court on Oct 29 the same year.

His parliament membership was scrapped later as Article 66 of the Constitution disqualifies an MP if s/he is convicted for a criminal involving moral turpitude, and sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years.

Chowdhury’s defence started their arguments on July 5 challenging the death penalty for crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s Liberation War.

State lawyers wrapped up their submission calling for upholding the sentences four days before that.