The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court today confirmed the death penalty of Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali for committing crimes against humanity in 1971 upholding the International Crimes Tribunal verdict which was handed down 16 months ago.

“The sentence (of the tribunal) is maintained,” pronounced Chief Justice SK Sinha, who led the five-member bench of the apex court in the appeal hearing of the case drawing mass applause from the government, prosecution and socio-cultural and political organisations.

Four other members of the bench are: Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, Justice Mirza Hussain Haider and Justice Mohammad Bazlur Rahman.

Sixty-four old Ali had earned the bad name of being “Bangali Khan” during the Liberation War as he carried out atrocities siding with Pakistani troops who was generally called “khan sena”.

The Appellate Division found valid several of the charges against Ali, also a business tycoon and major financer of Jamaat, and upheld his death sentence particularly for murdering freedom fighter Jashim. 

The tribunal had convicted Ali in 10 charges while the apex court today acquitted him from three of the charges which involved murders of Ranjit Das and Tuntu Sen.

The three-member tribunal had handed him down the death penalty for 

murdering Das and Sen by majority.

The Tribunal had handed down the death penalty on November 2, 2014 while the apex court judgment came two weeks after it wrapped up the appeal hearing of the case.

Law minister Anisul Huq hailed the judgment and said unless the defence preferred to seek review of the verdict, steps would be taken for immediate execution of the judgment.

“We have got the expected result,” Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told newsmen.

Chief defence counsel Khondker Mahbub Hossain said his client would take decision whether he would seek to get the judgment reviewed on receipt of the full text of the judgment.

The government, prosecution, eminent citizens, different political parties, socio-cultural organizations including Ganojagoran Mancha, hailed the verdict saying that justice was served and the people’s demand has been met with the verdict.

They wanted immediate implementation of the verdict to free the nation from stigma. 

Ali was arrested on June 17, 2012 from the daily Naya Diganta office in the city's Motijheel area and was kept at Kashimpur High Security Jail.

Hailed from Munshidangi Sutalori of Harirampur upazilla in Manikganj, Ali joined Islami Chhatra Sangha (ICS), the then student wing of Jamaat, in 1967, when he was a student of Chittagong Collegiate School.

Source: BSS.