Bangladesh SC defers hearing of two death-row war criminals

Dhaka: The Bangladesh Supreme Court on Monday deferred till November 17 the hearing of petitions filed by two condemned war criminals seeking review of its judgments that upheld their death penalties for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 liberation war.

The four-member bench of the appellate division, headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, passed the order following a plea moved by Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, a lawyer for Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, seeking time, The Daily Star online reported.

The lawyer said the two needed time for preparation to place arguments on the review petitions.

The court also rejected another petition that Salauddin submitted requesting recording of statements from eight people, including five Pakistani citizens.

Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mojaheed and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Salauddin on October 14 sought review of the court verdicts that upheld their capital punishment in June and July.

The International Crimes Tribunal issued execution warrants for both on October 1, a day after the court released the full verdicts.