The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has set January 23 as the date for hearing the review petition filed by Jamaat-e-Islami leader ATM Azharul Islam, who was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.

The decision was announced on Thursday, January 9, by a five-member bench led by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed. Senior lawyer Barrister Abdur Razzaq presented the review petition on behalf of Azharul Islam, accompanied by Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir, Barrister Ehsan Abdullah Siddiqui, and Barrister Najib Momen.

On October 23, 2019, the Appellate Division upheld the death penalty given to Azharul Islam for his involvement in crimes against humanity. The verdict was delivered by a bench led by then-Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain. Following this, Azharul Islam filed a review petition seeking reconsideration of the judgment.

The International Crimes Tribunal had initially sentenced Azhar to death on December 30, 2014, after finding him guilty of six out of nine charges of crimes against humanity. These crimes included the mass killing of 1,256 individuals in the Rangpur region during the Liberation War, the abduction of 17 people, the rape of one woman, the unlawful detention and severe torture of 13 individuals, and the looting and arson of numerous homes.

Of the six proven charges, the tribunal awarded the death penalty on five counts while dismissing the first charge. The prosecution argued that Azharul Islam, as a high-ranking leader of the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami during the war, played a central role in organizing and executing these atrocities.

Jamaat-e-Islami has consistently rejected the tribunal’s verdict, labeling it as a politically motivated trial. Azharul Islam's legal team has maintained that the trial process was flawed and has called for a comprehensive review of the death sentence.

The upcoming hearing will provide the court with an opportunity to revisit the legal arguments presented in the review petition. The decision on this matter is expected to set a significant precedent for other war crimes cases in the country.