SC asks for concise report on death sentence

The Supreme Court yesterday asked the defence to submit by May 16 a concise statement on the death penalty handed down to Jamaat-e-Islami leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee for his crimes against humanity in 1971.
The Appellate Division of SC passed the order after Sayedee's counsel Abdur Razzaq prayed for time for submitting the concise statement.
Sayedee on March 28 appealed to the SC against his sentence, while the government filed a separate appeal to the apex court, seeking the capital punishment for him on all the eight charges he was found guilty to.
On February 28, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 sentenced Sayedee to death on two charges but found him guilty to eight of the 20 charges.
Yesterday, the apex court also asked Attorney General Mahbubey Alam to send a copy of the government appeal to Sayedee by today.
Meanwhile, the Appellate Division yesterday continued hearing for the 10th day on the government appeal against the International Crimes Tribunal-2 verdict that sentenced another Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah to life for crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.
The attorney general earlier told the apex court that the ICT-2 verdict was not correct, as it gave life term imprisonment to Mollah instead of the death penalty.
In response to the attorney general's comment, Mollah's counsel Abdur Razzaq said the tribunal could give any sentence to an accused.
The court fixed Wednesday (today) for resuming the hearing.