SC defers hearing on Nizami's review petition till May 3

The Supreme Court yesterday deferred till May 3 the hearing on the petition filed by condemned war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami seeking a review of its judgement that upheld his death penalty for his wartime offences.

The four-member bench of Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha passed the deferment order following a time petition moved by Nizami's lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain.

The lawyer prayed to the court to defer the date for hearing the review petition for four weeks on his personal difficulties, Khandker Mahbub told The Daily Star.

The apex court said it would not allow further adjournment prayer.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam opposed the time prayer of the defence lawyer.

On October 29, 2014, the International Crimes Tribunal-1 handed down death penalty to Nizami, 71, for committing crimes during the 1971 Liberation War.

The SC on January 6 this year upheld his death sentence on three charges and life term imprisonment on two other charges.