Time to submit concise statement on Nizami plea extended

The Supreme Court today gave time to both the state and defence until March 31 for submitting concise statements on an appeal filed by convicted war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami against his death sentence. 

The four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice SK Sinha extended time for submitting the concise statements as none of the defence and state placed those today as per its earlier order.

The court said the appeal will be heard without any summary statement if the prosecution and defence do not place those within the stipulated time.

During today's hearing, Nizami's advocate on record Zainul Abedin Tuhin told the court that they could not prepare the statement on Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Nizami's appeal due to some personal difficulties of his principal lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.

Earlier on Monday, Abedin, on behalf of Nizami, submitted a petition to the apex court seeking four weeks time for submitting the concise statement.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told the court that his office failed to prepare the statement but he did not mention any reason.    

International Crimes Tribunal-1 on October 29 last year handed him the death penalty on four charges of war crimes, including murdering intellectuals. The 72-year-old was also awarded life imprisonment on the other four charges.

Nizami on November 23, last year filed the appeal with the SC challenging the death penalty verdict awarded to him by a war crimes tribunal for his crimes against humanity that he committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

In his appeal, Nizami claimed himself innocent and sought acquittal on the eight charges he was found guilty.

Nizami in his 121-page appeal mentioned 168 legal reasons to establish his innocence.

On the other hand, the government did not file any appeal with the SC against the ICT-1 verdict on Nizami, as it was satisfied with the verdict.