Hearing of crimes against humanity convict Abul Kalam Azad's appeal set for August 31

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has set August 31 for hearing whether the appeal filed by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, who was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War, will be admitted.

A three-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Justice Md Rezaul Haque fixed the date on Monday (August 17).

Senior lawyer Ehsan A Siddique appeared for the appellant, while International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) Chief Prosecutor Aminul Islam represented the state.

According to the application, International Crimes Tribunal-2 sentenced Abul Kalam Azad to death on January 21, 2013, in a case concerning crimes against humanity.

It was the first verdict delivered by the International Crimes Tribunal in a war crimes case, 41 years after Bangladesh’s independence.

Abul Kalam was a fugitive when the verdict was delivered and was tried in absentia. He was later granted a conditional one-year suspension of his death sentence following an application to the President.

He subsequently surrendered before the International Crimes Tribunal on January 21 this year.

After remaining a fugitive for more than a decade, Abul Kalam filed the appeal with the Appellate Division on July 6 following his surrender under the President’s order.

As the appeal was filed after the stipulated deadline, he has sought condonation of a delay of 4,915 days.

He has also sought a stay on the death sentence handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal until the appeal is disposed of.

The tribunal tried Abul Kalam over allegations of various crimes against humanity committed in the Faridpur region during the Liberation War and found him guilty on various charges.

The former Jamaat-e-Islami member later became known as a presenter and speaker of Islamic religious programmes on various private television channels.