ICT issues death warrant for Kamaruzzaman, sends to jail

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) has issued the death warrant for convicted war criminal and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mohammad Kamaruzzaman.

The warrant, wrapped with red cloth, was sent to the jail on Thursday afternoon.

The three judges of the second ICT signed the warrant and its Acting Deputy Registrar Md. Aftab Uz Zaman took it to the Dhaka Central Jail.

Prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum said the government would have to go ahead with the process to hang the convicted Jamaat leader.

“But,” he added, “The process will be postponed if the Supreme Court asks to do so.”

The process to execute the death verdict of the Jamaat leader will start after the prison officers read out the warrant to Kamaruzzaman, convicted for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

The warrant will also be sent to the home ministry and district magistrate.

Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Kamaruzzaman has the scope to file a review petition within 15 days from the publication of the full verdict on Wednesday.

After hearing the death warrant, the convict will be able to seek amnesty from the president. He will also be allowed to meet his family.

The review petition, if the defence files within the stipulated time, would put the process to execution on hold, Law Minister Anisul Huq said.

The minister and the lawyers said the court’s decision, to be taken after reviewing the verdict, would be executed.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division on Nov 3 last year upheld the International Crimes Tribunal’s verdict sentencing Kamaruzzaman to death.

The Supreme Court published the full verdict on Wednesday and sent it to the tribunal around 8pm.

Of the convicted war criminals, only another Jamaat leader, Abdul Quader Molla, has been hanged.

He had filed a review petition before the execution of his death verdict on Dec 12 last year.

He, however, had not sought amnesty from the president, according to the government.

After the publication of the full verdict on Kamaruzzaman, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said he thought the government could get on with preparing to execute the verdict.

“The Appellate Division in its verdict on reviewing did not say that the state will have to sit and wait these 15 days. Suppose, if no one files for review, will the state keep sitting idly?”

The attorney general also said the Supreme Court would fix the hearing date for the review plea. “But we’ll hope that this won’t linger. This should be resolved as soon as possible.”

About seeking amnesty from the president, Alam said it was the president’s issue to resolve.

The ICT awarded death penalty to Kamaruzzaman, who led the Al Badr in Mymensingh during the 1971 war, on May 9, 2013.

The Appellate Division unanimously upheld the ICT verdict for killing 120 people at the Sohagpur village under Sherpur district.