Dhaka, Apr 22 (V7N)- The Supreme Court's Appellate Division has begun hearing the appeal filed by Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam against his death sentence in a case of genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War. The court has scheduled the next hearing for May 6.

The hearing commenced at 10:15 AM before a four-member bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed.

The appeal hearing was attended by Jamaat's Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar, Assistant Secretary General Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Jobayer, and Advocate Moazzem Hossain Helal.

Barrister Ehsan Abdullah Siddiqui and lawyer Shishir Monir represented the condemned Jamaat leader.

  • On December 30, 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) found ATM Azharul Islam guilty and sentenced him to death for his involvement in atrocities during the Liberation War.

  • Following an appeal, the Appellate Division upheld the death sentence on October 31, 2019.

  • Azharul Islam then filed a review petition on July 19, 2020, challenging the Supreme Court’s decision.

In a historic move, the Supreme Court allowed the review petition to proceed to a full appeal on February 26, 2025, marking the first time a war crimes death sentence appeal has advanced to a full hearing from the review stage. The court also directed the defense to submit a summary of the appeal within two weeks.

With this significant development, the legal battle over one of the most high-profile war crimes convictions resumes, drawing wide attention from both human rights activists and survivors of the Liberation War. The upcoming hearing on May 6 is expected to be crucial in determining the final outcome of Azharul Islam’s appeal.

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