Verdict on Nizami's review plea May 5

The Supreme Court will deliver its verdict on May 5 on the petition filed by war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami seeking review of his death penalty.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha fixed the date today after concluding hearing on the petition.

Nizami's lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain started placing arguments before the bench, which started the day’s proceedings around 9:25am.

On March 29, Nizami's lawyers filed the petition praying to the apex court for his acquittal.

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 on October 29, 2014 handed down the death penalty to Nizami on four charges of war crimes, including murdering intellectuals during the war.

The 71-year-old was also awarded life imprisonment on four other charges.

The SC on January 6 this year upheld his death sentence on three charges and life term imprisonment on two other charges. The ICT issued the death warrant against him hours after the SC had released its full verdict on March 15.