SQ Chy family not satisfied, will seek review: Defence

War criminal Salauddin Quader Chowdhury’s counsel has said they would file for review of Supreme Court’s decision to keep in force his death penalty.

“Since it's an Appellate Division verdict, we will definitely ask for a review after we get a copy of the full version,” Supreme Court Bar Association chief Khandker Mahbub Hossain said on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, a four member bench of the top appeals court led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha upheld the death sentence handed to the former minister by the war crimes tribunal. 

“It has been said on behalf of his family that they were dissatisfied with the verdict.”

Hossain hoped the capital punishment would be ‘done away with ' when the review takes place.

Ever at the centre of controversy with his remarks and actions, Chowdhury is the first BNP leader to be walking the gallows for atrocities during the 1971 War of Independence from Pakistan.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced him to death on Oct 1, 2013, for 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.

His lawyer said, “You know that Saluddin Quader Chowdhury has been elected from his area a number of times since 1979, the area where he reportedly participated in Pakistani atrocities.

“The person who could barbarically treat people of his area in connivance of the Pakistani army, kill them, how could that person be repeatedly elected to the national parliament from there.

“Salauddin’s family said the prosecution brought the case against him with a political agenda. The verdict is based on false witnesses groomed in safe homes. Necessary legal action will be taken to countervail them."