Bangladesh Supreme Court today upheld the death sentences handed down to two top opposition leaders convicted for war crimes committed during 1971 independence war against Pakistan, rejecting their final review petitions.
The four-member bench led by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha rejected the review petitions of Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid and Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury.
The Appellate Division bench heard Mujahid's plea yesterday and Quader's today.
Both Mujahid and Chowdhury are in their late 60s and were senior ministers in ex-prime minister Khaleda Zia's BNP-led coalition government with Jamaat being its key partner.
Mujahid was found to be a key mastermind of the massacre of the country's top intelligentsia just ahead of the December 16, 1971 independence war victory. Chowdhury carried out atrocities particularly at his home district of southeastern Chittagong, leading a violent campaign against the Hindus.
Bangladesh's International Crimes Tribunal handed down death sentences to them in separate cases of crimes against humanity and the apex court upheld their capital punishment in June and July respectively.
Today's verdict had cleared the way for their execution and they were now left with the last option of seeking presidential clemency.
The verdict came amid a tight security vigil with security forces laying a security blanket in and around the Supreme Court complex since early morning.
Armed police and RAB (elite anti-crime Rapid Action Battalion) intensified their security vigil by blocking entry of ordinary people inside the complex as the court was set to deliver the judgement.
Bangladesh had overnight stepped up nationwide security amid fears of clashes after the verdict.
The verdict came amid fears of fresh sabotages to halt the ongoing trials and expected executions of several top 1971 war criminals after a series of "systematic clandestine attacks" that have left nine people, including two foreigners dead, and nearly 100 wounded in the past six weeks.
