Attorney General Mahbubey Alam yesterday prayed to the Supreme Court to uphold the death sentence of war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami.

Death sentence is Nizami's appropriate punishment as the Jamaat-e-Islami chief instigated the killing of civilians, including intellectuals, during the 1971 Liberation War by Al-Badr Bahini, an auxiliary force of the then Pakistan army, he said while placing arguments before the Appellate Division.

People of the country demand justice for the war martyrs, he added.

Yesterday was the 10th day of the hearing on the appeal filed by Nizami challenging his death penalty and other sentences handed down by the war crimes tribunal.

The SC pointed out defence lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain's argument that Nizami was a collaborator of the Pakistani occupation force and delivered political speeches but did not directly participate in any of the crimes during the war.

It asked the attorney general if Nizami should be sentenced to death since he did not have direct involvement in any crime.

In response, Mahbubey Alam said Nizami was involved in conspiracies behind the killings and atrocities and that the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act does not require direct participation in crimes for awarding the capital punishment.

The SC earlier upheld the death sentence of another war criminal Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed for instigating and planning the murders of intellectuals, he added.        

The attorney general also said the International Crimes Tribunal had rightly sentenced Nizami to death on four charges after examining the documents, evidence and statements of witnesses.   

Defence counsels are scheduled to counter the attorney general's arguments today.

The apex court may fix a date for delivering its verdict on the appeal after concluding the hearing today, Mahbubey Alam told reporters.