Govt seeks death penalty on all counts

The government yesterday submitted a concise statement on an appeal to the Supreme Court, seeking death penalty for Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee in all the charges he was found guilty for his wartime offences in 1971.
On February 28, the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 sentenced Sayedee to death on two charges, though it found the accused “guilty beyond doubt” on eight.
On March 28, the government filed an appeal with the SC seeking complete justice in the case against Sayedee.
The attorney general's office yesterday filed the concise statement on the appeal, saying there is no provision in the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act that the court cannot give punishment to any accused in all the charges.
The government in the statement prayed to the SC to give the highest punishment to Sayedee in all the charges which were proved before the tribunal.
Additional Attorney General MK Rahman told The Daily Star that they would file an application to the chamber judge of the Supreme Court today for fixing a date for hearing the appeal.
Earlier on March 28, Sayedee filed a separate appeal with the SC, seeking acquittal from the charges.