Dhaka: A Dhaka court on Thursday sentenced AKM Fakhrul Islam, the lawyer of executed war criminal Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, to 10 years’ imprisonment and fined him Taka one crore, in default, to suffer rigorous imprisonment for six more months over leaking the draft verdict of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that sentenced Chowdhury to death.

Dhaka Cyber Crimes Tribunal Judge KM Samsul Alam passed the order.

Besides, the court sentenced the lawyer’s manager Mahbubul Ahsan, Fakhrul’s associate lawyer Mehedi Hasan, two staff members of the ICT-1 Nayan Ali and Faruq Hossain to seven years’ imprisonment and fined them Tk 10,000 each, in default, to suffer rigorous imprisonment for six more months.

The court acquitted the wife and son of Salauddin Quader Chowdhury over leaking the draft verdict of the International Crimes Tribunal-1 that sentenced him to death.

Dhaka Cyber Crimes Tribunal Judge KM Samsul Alam passed the order.

The court acquitted Salauddin Quader’s wife Farhat Quader and son Humman Quader from the charges.

Earlier on August 28, a Dhaka Court deferred its judgment until September 15.

On August 4, Judge of the tribunal KM Samsul Alam fixed August 14 for delivering the judgment on completion of arguments in the case.

The court also sent four accused — Fakhrul, Faruq, Nayan and Mahbubul — to jail when they appeared before the court while lawyer Fakhrul’s associate adv Mehedi Hasan remained absconding.

On February 15, a Dhaka court framed charges against seven people, including wife, a son and a counsel for executed BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, in the case.

DB inspector M Shajahan submitted a chargesheet to the Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court against the seven accused on August 28, 2014.

On October 1, 2013, ICT-1 sentenced BNP standing committee member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury to death after finding him guilty of committing crimes against humanity and genocide during the Liberation War in 1971.

However, some parts of the draft verdict were found posted in the internet several hours before pronouncing the verdict.

Later, showing the copy of the draft verdict, Salauddin’s wife and son raised a complaint that the verdict was originated from the Law Ministry.

On October 4, a case was filed with Shahabagh Police Station under sections 57 and 63 of Information and Communication Technology Act.

Salauddin Quader Chowdhury was executed in the Dhaka Central Jail on November 22, 2015.