Condemned war crimes convict Jamaat leader Mir Quasem Ali will file a petition with the Supreme Court seeking a review of its verdict upholding his death penalty for crimes against humanity during the Liberation War, said Quasem’s counsel Matiur Rahman Akanda today.

Talking to reporters at Kashimpur Central Jail gate, Akanda said the Jamaat leader will file a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict upholding the judgment of the International Crimes Tribunal that sentenced him to death.

Earlier, lawyers of Mir Quasem met him at the Kashimpur Jail in the morning.

ALSO READ: Profile of Mir Quasem

A 5-member team of lawyers, including the convict’s son barrister Mir Ahmed Bin Quasem, barrister Najibur Rahman, barrister Nurullah and adv Matiur Rahman Akanda, entered the jail around 11:00am to meet Quasem, said Prosanto Kumar Banik, jail super of the central jail part-2.

They spent about an hour with Quasem and got out of the jail, Prosanto Kumar Banik added.

On Tuesday, the prison authorities read out the death warrant to Mir Quasem Ali at the jail.

On Monday, the International Crimes Tribunal issued the death warrant for the Jamaat-e-Islami leader hours after the Supreme Court released the full text of its verdict upholding his death penalty.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court released the full text of its verdict upholding the death penalty of Mir Quasem Ali.

On March 8, the Appellate Division upheld the death penalty for Mir Quasem Ali for his crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.

ALSO READ: Death warrant issued for Mir Quasem

A five-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha, came up with the verdict, after allowing in part the appeal filed by the Jamaat leader challenging the tribunal's death sentence.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 in a verdict had sentenced Mir Quasem Ali, Al-Badr chief in the port city of Chittagong in 1971, to death on November 2, 2014.

On November 30, 2014, Mir Quasem filed an appeal before the Supreme Court challenging the death penalty.

Among the total 14 charges brought against Mir Quasem for war crimes, the tribunal convicted him on 10 counts of charges and acquitted him from four.

The Appellate Division started hearing the appeal on February 9, 2016.

The Election Commission has scrapped the registration of Jamaat-e-Islami, a component of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, making it clear that the party will not be able to contest the upcoming national election.

A gazette notification was published on Sunday in this regard as per the Representation of the People Order, 1972.

The notice, signed by EC Secretary Helaluddin Ahmed, said the decision was made following a High Court verdict that declared Jamaat's registration illegal.

Talking to The Daily Star yesterday, the EC secretary said they cancelled the registration after receiving the full text of the HC verdict.

Asked about Jamaat's appeal pending with the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court, Helaluddin said they received an advocate certificate stating that the apex court didn't stay the HC order.

The HC in a landmark verdict on August 1, 2013, had declared illegal the Jamaat's registration with the EC. The commission the same year had suspended the registration.

Rezaul Haque Chandpuri, then secretary general of Bangladesh Tariqat Federation, along with 24 others had filed a writ petition with the HC on January 25, 2009, seeking its order declaring Jamaat's registration illegal.

The petitioners said Jamaat was a religion-based political party and it didn't believe in independence and sovereignty of Bangladesh.

In the verdict, two judges of the three-member HC bench declared the registration illegal. However, the other judge disagreed with the decision of his two colleagues.

Jamaat then filed the appeal with the apex court challenging the HC verdict.

A total of 38 political parties, including Jamaat, registered with the EC after the then military-backed caretaker government had introduced the registration system in 2008.

Jamaat had brought major changes to its constitution in phases to meet the registration requirements as no unregistered political party was allowed to contest elections.

For the first time, the Islamist party made a mention of democracy in its charter, although its ultimate aim was to establish Islamic rule in the country.

The party had secured the registration on November 24, 2008.

The writ petition said section 2(5) of Jamaat charter failed to recognise parliament or its legitimacy to enact laws for the republic which was a violation of article 65(1) of the country's constitution.

They added that Jamaat had offices abroad in violation of the country's constitution.

Controversial Islamist thinker Sayyid Abul A'la Maududi had founded Jamaat in undivided India under the British colonial rule in 1941.

The government of independent Bangladesh in its first decision had banned five communal outfits, including Jamaat, which not only opposed the nation's independence but also actively helped Pakistani occupation forces commit genocide and other war crimes.

The banned parties were given the green light to do politics during the rule of late president Ziaur Rahman after the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1975.

The international crimes tribunals in their judgments have described the Jamaat's role in 1971.

Some judgments also said Jamaat played a leading role in creating Pakistani occupation army's auxiliary forces like Al-Badr, Razakar, Al Shams and Peace Committee which actively took part in atrocities on Bangalees.

Police arrested six female activists of Jamaat-e-Islami in a drive in Katnarpara of Bogra yesterday.

The arrestees are identified as Zobaida Begum, Ramena Begum, Kulsum Begum, Ruma Begum, Helena Begum and Khodeza Begum.

Tipped off, a team of police raided a house and arrested them while holding a clandestine meeting, said Kamruzzaman, sub-inspector of Sadar Police Station.

A case was filed in this connection.