War crime and death row convict Quader Molla’s defence lawyers have finally mustered courage to defy a strike and blockade to spring to Molla’s defence in the Supreme Court.
Quader Molla, the Jamaat-e-Islami Adssistant Secretary General, has been sentenced to death by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court for war crimes committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
The defence lawyers had habitually skipped war crimes tribunal hearings, citing Opposition-backed shutdowns, thus delaying trial proceedings.
The tribunal judges had often censured them for playing truant but without much effect.
The lawyers, however, made it to the court unscathed on Wednesday to stall Molla’s hanging, despite the Opposition’s twin campaign of transport blockade and a shutdown being enforced with threats of violence.
The Jamaat-e-Islami is enforcing a daylong nationwide shutdown on Wednesday for the third consecutive day. The 18-Party Opposition-sponsored blockade is also on.
The Supreme Court Appellate Division’s full bench, led by Chief Justice Md Muzammel Hossain, started hearing the maintainability of Quader Molla’s review petition at 10am on Wednesday.
BNP Chairperson’s adviser and Bar Council Vice President Khandaker Mahbub Hossain and Jamaat leader and International Crimes Tribunal chief defence counsel Barrister Abdur Razzaq stood in Molla’s defence.
Earlier, Razzaq was noted for his absence in the war crimes hearings of Jamaat leaders Delwar Hossain Sayedee, Quader Molla, Motiur Rahman Nizami and BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury as the dates often coincided with Opposition-backed shutdowns.
The absence of the senior defence lawyers had forced repeated adjournments of tribunal hearings.
The tribunal judges had warned the defence counsels but they seemed to pay no heed.
The Dhaka Central Jail authorities were ready to hang Molla at Tuesday midnight.
But defence counsel Abdur Razzq moved Supreme Court Chamber Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, managing to stay the execution amid the relentless blockades by the Opposition alliance.
The Chamber Justice stayed the execution until 10.30am on Wednesday.
Later on Tuesday night, Jamaat called a daylong general strike on Wednesday, demanding Molla’ release.
Source: Bd news24
