SQ Chowdhury likely to file appeal with SC today

War crimes convict Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, condemned to die, is likely to file an appeal with the Supreme Court today challenging the convictions.
“We have already prepared the around 1,000-page appeal and it will be submitted tomorrow,” his principal counsel, Khandker Mahbub Hossain, told The Daily Star yesterday.
On October 1, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 found the 64-year-old BNP lawmaker guilty on nine of 23 charges of crimes against humanity and genocide committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
As per International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973, appeals against verdicts can be made in 30 days from the judgement delivery.
Citing from the appeal, Khandker said the death sentence was based on hearsay statements of prosecution witnesses, who themselves had not heard of the offences directly from eyewitnesses, and this is not at all acceptable.
Salauddin was given capital punishment on four crimes, three of which took place on April 13 and the remaining on April 17 of 1971, said Khandker.
But Salauddin was in West Pakistan studying at Punjab University from March 29, 1971 to April 20, 1974 as per a statement submitted during the hearing by the mother of Justice Shamim Hasnain of the High Court, he said.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said they will place arguments before the SC defending the verdict.