Bangladesh SC to give verdict on Jamaat leader's review petition

Bangladesh's Supreme Court on Sunday wrapped up the hearing on Jamaat-e-Islami's top leader Mir Quasem Ali's petition seeking a review of his death sentence for war crimes during the country's independence war against Pakistan in 1971 and will announce its verdict on Tuesday.

"The decision (final verdict) will be pronounced on August 30," a court official quoted Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha as saying after hearing lawyers of the state and the accused sides.

64-year-old Ali, also a media doyen, filed the review petition after the apex court published its full verdict and the International Crimes Tribunal issued the death warrant against him on June 6. He owns several business houses ad media outlets including now suspended TV channel and is a central executive council member of Jamaat-e-Islami which was opposed to Bangladeshs 1971 independence.

He was convicted of running a militia torture cell, Al Badr, that carried out killings of several people.

Three million people were said to have been massacred in the war by the Pakistani army and their local collaborators.

Four people, including three Jamaat leaders and one BNP stalwart have been hanged so far since the war crimes trial process began six years ago while two others died in prison of old age.