SC to hear war criminal Azharul's review petition once regular functions resume

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court will hold hearing on the review petition of war criminal ATM Azharul Islam when its regular functions will resume after the ongoing closure.

A virtual bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain came up with the decision today after Attorney General Mahbubey Alarm prayed for fixing a date for hearing the review petition.

Azharul filed the petition with the SC yesterday seeking review of its verdict that upheld his death penalty for his involvement in genocide and crimes against humanity during the country's Liberation War in 1971.

He submitted a 23-page review petition containing 14 grounds for seeking reconsideration of the apex court's judgement through his lawyers Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain and Advocate Shishir Manir.

The SC on October 31 last year upheld his death sentence.

A four-member bench, headed by chief justice, by a majority view delivered the verdict around five years after International Crimes Tribunal-1 handed down capital punishment to Azharul for crimes committed in Rangpur in 1971.

The SC released the full text of the verdict on March 15 this year, clearing the way for Azharul to move a petition seeking review of the judgement.

Azharul (67), who is now in Gazipur's Kashimpur Jail-2, was commander of notorious Al-Badr force and president of Chhatra Sangha, the then student wing of Jamaat -- a party which opposed the country's liberation -- in Rangpur during the 1971 war.