War crimes: Death warrant issued against Syed Kaiser
The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) today issued the death warrant against Syed Mohammad Kaiser, a former state minister from Jatiya Party, for his crimes against humanity during the country's Liberation War in 1971.
Confirming the matter to The Business Standard, ICT Registrar Sayeed Ahmed said, "His death warrant has been sent to concerned offices including the central jail authorities."
On Wednesday, the Appellate Division published the verdict uploading the death penalty to Syed Kaiser handed down by the ICT on January 14.
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A four-member bench of the top court, headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain, passed the judgment.
According to the law, Syed Kaiser can file petition to review the Appellate Division verdict now. There will be no legal barrier to execute him if court rejects his plea this time. Defence lawyers said they will file the review plea soon.
A Muslim League leader in 1971, Kaiser was sentenced to death on December 23, 2014, after being found guilty of murder, arson, loot, rape and genocide in Brahmanbaria and Habiganj during wartime.
Kaiser had raised a militia in his name – "Kaiser Bahini" – with 500 to 600 anti-liberation activists to support the Pakistan Army during the war.
He guided the Pakistani troops to various villages to attack and abuse Hindus and supporters of Bangladesh's independence.
He went into hiding as soon as the country became free and later resurfaced in Bangladesh politics in 1978.
Kaiser contested as an independent candidate and won the 1979 parliamentary polls from the Sylhet-17 constituency.
He later joined the BNP after it had been founded by the country's first military dictator Ziaur Rahman, and became the president of its Habiganj unit.
He later shifted to HM Ershad's Jatiya Party and won from the Habiganj-4 constituency in 1988.
He became the state minister for agriculture during Ershad's regime.
The tribunal had sentenced Kaiser to death on seven counts of charges, including the rapes of two women.
One of the Biranganas and her child testified in the case.
Another count of charge involved indiscriminate killing. The tribunal had also sentenced him to 22 years in jail on four counts of charges of abduction, torture and murder.
In the appeal's verdict, the top court also upheld Kaiser's death sentence on the seven counts of charges. His imprisonment until death on one count of charges was also upheld.
