Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam. File Photo

DHAKA, April 22, 2025 (BSS) - The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) today adjourned till May 6 the hearing on Jamaat leader ATM Azharul Islam's appeal, challenging his conviction and death sentence pronounced in a case filed over crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in 1971.

A four-member apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order as the matter came on today's cause list for hearing.

Barrister Ehsan A Siddique and Advocate Shishir Mohammad Manir appeared for the convict at the court. Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Mia Golam Parwar, Assistant Secretary General Adv Ehsanul Mahbub Jobayer, and Adv Moazzem Hossain Helal were present in the courtroom at the time.

The Appellate Division on February 26 granted ATM Azhar's leave to appeal petition, asking the defence to submit the summary of their appeal case within a week and the prosecution to submit a summary of their case within the next two weeks after that. It also had set April 22 for holding a hearing on the appeal.

The ICT-1 on December 30, 2014, sentenced Azhar to death for his crimes against humanity in Rangpur during the War of Liberation. The tribunal, in its judgment, said it found him guilty of five of the total six charges it had framed against him.

ATM Azharul Islam filed the appeal against his conviction on January 28, 2015.

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on October 31, 2019, pronounced its judgment, upholding the death sentence of ATM Azharul Islam. On March 25, 2020, the apex court released the full text of that judgment.