Dhaka: Attorney General (AG) Mahbubey Alam on Monday said the killing of intellectuals was a crime with no bound and hanging is the only punishment for such crimes.

The chief state counsel pleaded for upholding the death sentence of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami chief Matiur Rahman Nizami for his crimes against humanity including the killing of intellectuals.

The AG said this at the arguments in the hearing on appeal filed by Nizami, challenging the maximum punishment handed down to him by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1.

Earlier on 2 December, the defence concluded their part of arguments after starting it on 30 November. The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court set Tuesday for submission of rebuttals by both prosecution and defence.

The ICT-1 on 29 October 2014, sentenced the Jamaat chief to death as the 75-year-old convict was found guilty in eight of the total 16 charges.

The Jamaat chief lodged appeal against the ICT-1 verdict on 23 November 2014.  

Police arrested Nizami on 29 June 2010 in a criminal case and was shown arrested on war crimes charges on 2 August 2010.