Nizami’s death penalty upheld

The Appellate Division on Thursday dismissed war crimes death row inmate Motiur Rahman Nizami’s petition seeking review of his death sentence upheld by the apex court earlier.
The one word decision, ‘dismissed’ pronounced by Chief Justice SK Sinha, who chaired the four-judge bench, paved the way for Nizami’s execution.
He gave the decision in a crowded courtroom at 11.30 AM.
Later, attorney general Mahbubey Alam told a news briefing that Nizami would get the opportunity to seek mercy from the president.
He said that on receipt of a copy of the apex court’s decision the jail authorities would inquire from Nizami whether he would seek mercy from the president.
Mahbubey Alam said that if Nizami declines to seek mercy or if his mercy petition is rejected, the jail
authorities would execute the notorious Al-Badr commander on a date to be fixed by the government.
Nizami’s lawyer Khander Mahbub Hossain told reporters that he accepted the apex court verdict.
But he also said that his client was tried and punished under the International War Crime Tribunal Act which was enacted in 1973 only to try 195 Pakistan Army personnel accused of committing war crimes in Bangladesh during the Liberation War.
The bench included Justice Nazmun Ara Sultana, Syed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Hasan Foyez Siddique.
On Monday, the apex court concluded hearing Nizami’s review petition.
On January 6, the same bench upheld Nizami’s death sentences on three counts of war crimes that include planning intellectuals’ killings in Dhaka in the last days of the Liberation War, mass murdering of  450 people in three villages in Pabna, Boushgari, Ruposhi and Demra, and murdering 52 others and in the village Dhulaura, also in Pabna.
The apex court also upheld Nizami’s death sentence for ordering the abductions and killings of three physicians, Abdul Alim Chowhury, Azharul Haque and Humayun Kabir.
It upheld Nizami’s life term for ordering abduction, confinement and killings of freedom fighters Badi, Rumi, Azad, Jewel and composer Altaf Mahmud in Dhaka and for ordering torture and murder of  Liberation War supporter Sohrab Ali of  the village Brishalikha, Pabna.
Nizami was the fifth war crimes death row inmate whose review petition was rejected by the apex court.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net