Verdict on war criminal Nizami’s review petition on Thursday

The Supreme Court on Thursday will pronounce its verdict on war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami’s petition seeking review of his death sentence.

The four-member appeals bench led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha fixed the day to deliver the verdict after concluding the hearing on Tuesday.

The other members of the bench were justices Nazmun Ara Sultana, Syed AB Mahmud Husain and Hasan Foez Siddique.

 Khandker Mahbub Hossain argued for Nizami, the chief of the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, while Attorney General Mahbubey Alam represented the State.

Security was beefed up in the Supreme Court area particularly at the entrances since morning in view of the hearing of Nizami review and scheduled pronouncement of verdict by International Crimes Tribunal on five war criminals from Kishoreganj.

Review is the last leg of the legal battle. If the Supreme Court upholds the Appellate Division verdict, Nizami can seek clemency from the president as the last resort.

The Supreme Court had turned down the review petitions of two other war criminals – Jamaat leaders Abdul Quader Molla and Mohammad Kamaruzzaman – a day after they filed the pleas.

The government at that time had said that they did not apply for presidential pardon. They were hanged days later.

Jamaat-e-Islami chief Nizami was convicted in October 2014 by the International War Crimes Tribunal for the atrocities he committed during the 1971 Liberation War.

He has been found guilty of involvement in mass murders and rapes of Bengalis and massacre of the intellectuals during the war.

Nizami was then the head of the Jamaat's students' wing Islami Chhatra Sangha and commanded the al Badr militia that was notorious for its ruthlessness.

Following the conviction and sentencing, Nizami appealed for the verdict’s review on Mar 29.