The Supreme Court today fixed April 28 for starting hearing on the appeals filed by convicted war criminals Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury challenging their death sentences.

A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha fixed the date following a time prayer moved by defence counsel Khandaker Mahbub Hossain.

In his petitions, Mahbub prayed to the court to start hearing on the appeals at the end of May, saying that they will remain busy due to the elections to the city corporations and Bangladesh Bar Council scheduled for April 28 and May 20 respectively.

But the bench fixed April 28 for starting hearing on the review petitions.

The appeals, which were filed by Jamaat-e-islami and BNP leaders Mojaheed and Salauddin on March 31 and April 1 respectively, were included in the hearing list of the apex court today for passing orders.

The International Crimes Tribunal-2 on July 17, 2013 found the Jamaat secretary general guilty of five out of seven charges brought against him. The tribunal sentenced him to death on three charges, jailed him for life in one and sentenced him to five years in prison on another charge.

The convicted war criminal filed the appeal with the SC on August 12 on the same year seeking acquittal of all the charges.

BNP leader Salauddin on October 29, 2013 appealed to the SC against a tribunal verdict that sentenced him to death for war crimes.

On October 1, 2013, the ICT-1 found the 65-year-old Salauddin guilty on nine of 23 charges of crimes against humanity and genocide committed during the country’s Liberation War in 1971.