Dhaka: The appellate division on Wednesday upheld the death sentence handed down to war criminal and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury for his crimes during the country’s 1971 War of Independence.

The Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice SK Sinha, dismissed Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury’s appeal against a death sentence handed down by a controversial war crimes tribunal two years ago.

The three other members of the bench are Justice Nazmul Ara Sultana, Justice Syed Mahmood Hossain, and Justice Hasan Foyez Siddique.

In a brief judgement Sinha said the court ‘maintained’ the death sentence for genocide and torture against 66-year-old Chowdhury, who is a senior member of the main opposition BNP.

Chowdhury was originally found guilty by the International Crimes Tribunal, a domestic war crimes court, of nine charges including genocide, torture and rape.

Earlier, on 29 October 2013 condemned convict Salauddin filed an appeal challenging the death penalty handed down against him by the International Crimes Tribunal 1.

On 7 July, the four-member bench fixed 29 July for delivering the judgment after closing the arguments on the appeal.

On 1 October 2013, ICT 1 found the BNP leader guilty of crimes against humanity during the War of Independence and condemned him to death for ordering the killing of at least 200 people during the war.

The tribunal found him guilty in nine charges, which included genocide, murder, torture, and deportation, out of the total 23. The tribunal sentenced him to death for four out of those nine charges.

He was also handed down with a total of 60-year imprisonment for charge numbers two, four, and seven and was given a total of 10-year imprisonment for charge numbers 17 and 18.

The tribunal indicted Salauhddin Quader for his involvement in crimes against humanity on 23 counts under different provisions of section 3 (2) of the International Crimes (Tribunals) Act.

The tribunal found Salauhddin Quader, the son of Pakistan Convention Muslim League president Fazlul Quader Chowdhury, guilty of genocide at Rauzan and murder of minority Hindu community members, including Nutan Chandra Singh, the founder of Kundeshwari Owsadhalay of Gohira, Awami League leaders and supporters of Bangladesh’s War of Independence.

The tribunal also found him guilty of the charge of torture on the accused carried out on captives at his ancestral house ‘Good Hills’ in the port city of Chittagong during the 1971 War of Independence.

After Abdul Quader Mollah, Delwar Hossain Sayedee, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid, Salahuddin Chowdhury is the fifth convict, whose appeal has been disposed of by the appellate division.

It was the first time a BNP politician had been sentenced for his role in the conflict, which saw what was then East Pakistan secede from Islamabad.

Previous verdicts against Islamist politicians have sparked deadly violence, and security has been stepped up in Dhaka and the southern port city of Chittagong, which Chowdhury has represented as a lawmaker for three decades.

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters that he was ‘satisfied’ with the verdict.

But defence lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain said Chowdhury’s legal team was disappointed and would seek a review of the judgement at the same court.

Prosecutors said Chowdhury would be sent to the gallows within a matter of months unless his case is reviewed by the same court or he is granted clemency by the president.

Hundreds of protesters including ruling party activists staged ‘victory processions’ as news of the verdict reached the capital’s Shahbagh Square where they had been massing since dawn.

Prosecutors described Chowdhury, a minister in the previous BNP-led government, as a merciless killer who murdered more than 200 Hindus, including the owner of a well-known herbal medicine company.

His trial was told that Chowdhury had dragged owner Nutan Chandra Sinha out of his prayer room and Pakistani soldiers had then shot him.

‘Chowdhury then shot him again to make sure he was dead,’ said prosecutor Zead Al Malum.

The BNP and its Islamist allies have said the tribunal is a tool for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League to silence its opponents.

Charges earn Salahuddin death 

The charges those proved fatal for Salauddin are-

Charge number 3, which says Salauddin Quader Chowdhury led the Pakistani Army to Kundeshwari Owsadhalay of Gohira and entered the household of Sree Nutun Chandra Singha, who was performing his prayer at that time in the temple and ordered the Pakistani troops to kill Singha. The army opened fire at Singha. While Nutun Chandra Singha was gasping for air after being shot, Salauddin shot him again to confirm his death and left with his associates.

Charge Number 5, which says Salauddin and his accomplices led the Pakistani troops into Bonikpara of Sultanpur and opened fire upon unarmed civilian Hindu people and killed Nepal Chandra Dhar, Monendra Lal Dhar, Opendra Lal Dhar and Anil Baran Dhar. The houses in Bonikpara were also set on fire by Salauddin and his men.

Charge number 6 reads Salauddin Quader Chowdhury along with some of his accomplices led the Pakistani troops in attacking Unsattur para under Rawjan police station and brought the local Hindus to the bank of a pond behind the house of Khitish Mohajan. As they arrived, Salauddin and his men brush fired upon them and killed Chandra Kumar Paul and 49 others. One Januti Bala Paul got shot on her waist and the many Hindu people, who survived the incident, took shelter in India as refugees.

Charge number 8 says Pakistani troops in presence of Salauddin stopped vehicle carrying Sheikh Mozaffar Ahmed, founder of Chittagong Awami League, and his family. Salauddin identified them and the troops hereafter brought down Sheikh Mozaffor Ahmed and his son Sheikh Alamgir from the car and took them to the nearby Army camp and where they were subsequently killed.