SC starts hearing Mir Quasem's review petition

Rejecting Tuesday's appeal of convicted war criminal Mir Quasem Ali for a three-week deferment, the Supreme Court yesterday started hearing his petition of June 19 seeking review of its verdict upholding death penalty for him.

Quasem's lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain placed a short argument before the Appellate Division bench headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha fixed August 28 for resuming the hearing.

Khandker moved the deferment petition, saying he could not prepare arguments as assistant lawyer and Quasem's son, Barrister Mir Ahmmad Bin Quasem, who had the case's records and documents, had “disappeared”. The apex court expressed regret, saying this could not be a logical ground for an adjournment.

When the chief justice and Attorney General Mahbubey Alam offered relevant documents so that he could start placing arguments, Khandker turned them down, claiming he could do so from memory.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told journalists at his office afterwards that Quasem's lawyers were dillydallying by repeatedly seeking adjournments.

The previous deferment petition on July 24 sought two months for Khandker's preparations. The next day, the Appellate Division granted one month, fixing yesterday's date.

Review petitions of other war crimes convicts were heard and disposed of within 31 to 37 days of being filed while Quasem's one had already seen 66 days go by, he added.

The 63-year-old Jamaat-e-Islami leader sought acquittal on all seven charges he was found guilty on.

On November 2, 2014, International Crimes Tribunal-2 handed down the capital punishment over crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.

The Appellate Division upheld the verdict on March 8 this year and released the full text on June 6, hours after which ICT issued a death warrant.