Mir Quasem’s death warrant at Dhaka jail

The death warrant for condemned convict Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971 reached the Dhaka Central Jail on Monday.The Jail Super received a copy of the death warrant in the evening, said International Crimes Tribunal registrar Shahidul Alam Jhinuk. Dhaka, UNB News Agency Reported.

Besides, two copies of the death warrant were sent to the Home Ministry and Dhaka District Magistrate, he said.Now, the death warrant will be read out to the war crimes convict, Jhinuk said.A three-member bench of the tribunal, led by Justice Anwarul Haq, signed the death warrant in the afternoon. The other members of the tribunal are Justice Shahinur Islam and Justice Mohammad Suhrawardi.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court released the full text of its verdict upholding the death penalty of war crimes convict Mir Quasem Ali.The copy of the 244-page full verdict was released after singing of all five members of the Appellate Division bench, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha.

Meanwhile, the defence said they will file a review petition with the SC.Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said if the defence files the review petition against the verdict, proceedings regarding the execution of the verdict will remain stopped.The Supreme Court has so far released the full texts of its verdicts against seven war crimes convicts.

Earlier on March 08, the Appellate Division upheld the death penalty for Mir Quasem Ali for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.A five-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha, came up with the verdict, after allowing in part the appeal filed by the Jamaat leader challenging the tribunal’s death sentence.

The other members of the bench were Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Mohammad Bazlur Rahman.On February 24, after concluding the hearing, the apex court had fixed March 8 for pronouncement of its verdict on the appeal filed by Mir Quasem Ali against the death sentence.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 in a verdict had sentenced Mir Quasem Ali, Al-Badr chief in the port city of Chittagong in 1971, to death on November 2, 2014. On November 30, 2014, Mir Quasem filed an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the death penalty.

Among the total 14 charges brought against Mir Quasem for war crimes, the tribunal convicted him on 10 charges and acquitted him from four.The Appellate Division started hearing the appeal on February 9, 2016.Top Jamaat-e-Islami financier Quasem, now 64, was president of the Chittagong town unit of the Islami Chhatra Sangha, student wing of Jamaat, till November 6, 1971.

He was then made general secretary of the East Pakistan Chhatra Sangha.