Dhaka: Bangladesh's Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for the execution of an opposition leader convicted of war crimes when it rejected a last-minute appeal filed by his lawyers.
The execution of Abdul Quader Mollah, which had been on hold since Tuesday night just before he was to be put to death, is likely to usher in a new wave of political violence ahead of national elections next month.
His party, Jamaat-e-Islami, an ally of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party, has warned of “dire consequences” if he is executed.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the government will now decide when the execution takes place. “There are no more barriers to execute Quader Mollah. There is no chance of any confusion,” he said.
Mollah, 65, was convicted of war crimes committed during the nation's war of independence against Pakistan in 1971. His lawyers tried to convince the Supreme Court, which began hearing the case Wednesday, to throw out the sentence.
“My client has been deprived of fair justice. But since the highest court has made the decision we have nothing more to say,” defense lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain said.
