Hearing on appeal against Kamaruzzaman verdict May 18

The Supreme Court on Thursday fixed May 18 for hearing on the appeal filed by Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman challenging the death penalty handed down to him by International War Crimes Tribunal (ICT) in the war crimes case. A 5-member bench, led by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain, set the date for hearing of the judgment against the war crimes convict. Additional Attorney General M K Rahman confirmed it to UNB. On May 9 last year, International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) sentenced M Kamaruzzaman to death for his crimes against humanity during the country’s Liberation War 42 years ago. The ICT-2 found him guilty in five, out of seven, charges leveled against him. The prosecution failed to prove the remaining two charges. On June 4 last year, the tribunal indicted Kamaruzzaman on seven charges of crimes against humanity, allegedly committed during the Liberation War. The charges were based on seven separate incidents of crimes against humanity that include killing of at least 183 unarmed people and rape of some women. On June 6, Advocate Tajul Islam, a lawyer for Kamaruzzaman, filed the appeal with the Appellate Division seeking acquittal from the charges. —-UNB, Dhaka.