The hearing of the appeals filed by both sides over the International Crimes Tribunal-1 verdict condemning Delwar Hossain Sayedee, nayeb-e-ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami, to death for his 1971 Libration War Crimes, were closed before the Appellate Division on Tuesday.
Closing the hearings after exhausting 49 working days, a five–member Appellate Division bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hosssain, fixed Wednesday for disposal of the supplementary petitions from both sides created during the hearings, including the charge of killing Ibrahim Kutty for which Sayedee was awarded capital punishment.
The apex court began hearing on the appeals on September 24 last year.
During the appeal hearing, the defence counsel for Sayedee claimed that Ibrahim Kutty was killed after the independence of Bangladesh.
In support of their claim, the defence counsel submitted a photocopy of an FIR (First Information Report) in connection with the case filed by Momtaz Begum, wife of slain Ibrahim Kutty, where the name of Sayedee was not mentioned as an accused among 13 others.
On the other hand, Attorney General dismissed the defence claim terming it fake and concocted, referring to his queries at Barisal and Pirozpur district and sessions judge courts.
On February 28, 2013, in its first judgment, tribunal-1 condemned Sayedee to death for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War 43 years ago, acquitting him of a dozen of the charges.
Sayedee was sentenced to death in two of the charges even though found guilty beyond reasonable doubt in eight others. He was sentenced to death for the abduction, torture and murder of Ibrahim Kutty and the killing of Bisha Bali in Pirojpur during the Liberation War.
On March 28 last year, the prosecution and the defence counsel filed separate appeals with the Appellate Division against the trial court verdict.
Source: UNB Connect
