War trial: Death warrant issued for Nizami

The International Crimes Tribunal today issued death warrant for convicted war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami hours after the Supreme Court released its full verdict upholding his death penalty.

In October 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 handed down capital punishment to Nizami, the leader of infamous Al-Badr Bahini, for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War.

The registrar office of the tribunal issued the warrant for the convict around 9:15pm following its directives, Registrar Shahidul Alam Jhinuk told The Daily Star.

The warrant was sent to the senior jail super of Dhaka Central Jail, he said, adding that the copy of warrant was also sent to the Dhaka district magistrate for “necessary action” and to the home and law ministries for “information”, he added.

Jahangir Kabir, the senior jail super of the central jail, told The Daily Star that the warrant was recieved around 9:50pm.

it will be sent to the Kashimpur jail-2 in Gazipur later in the night, he added.

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court released its full verdict that upheld the death penalty for war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami, leaving him with option to seek review of the verdict.

Talking with The Daily Star, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the Jamaat-e-Islami chief can move a review petition with the Supreme Court within 15 days of receiving the copy of the full verdict.

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The apex court released the 153-page judgement after its four judges concerned signed the verdict.

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 handed Nizami death penalty on October 29, 2014 for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.

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On January 6, a four-member bench of the Appellate Division of SC upheld the death sentence of the Al-Badr Bahini chief Nizami for his crimes against humanity during the country’s Liberation War.

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The SC bench unanimously upheld his death penalty for masterminding the killing of intellectuals and involvement in two incidents of mass killing of over 500 people in Pabna in 1971, paving the way for his execution.

Meanwhile, the full text of the judgement of Nizami has reached the International Crime Tribunal for its next course of action.  

The ICT received the full text of the verdict around 7:00pm, Shahidul Alam Jhinuk, registrar of the tribunal, told The Daily Star.

The Jamaat ameer now has the option of seeking review of the SC judgment after the release of the verdict's full text. If his review petition is rejected, he will get a chance to seek presidential clemency.

If Nizami decides not to seek clemency or is denied it, he will be the second Al-Badr top leader after Mojaheed to walk the gallows.

Nizami is the third former minister after Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury to get death penalty for their notorious role during the war.