<div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) today set February 20 for holding a hearing on Jamaat leader ATM Azharul&nbsp; Islam's petition pleading to review its judgment that upheld his death sentence initially awarded by International Crimes Tribunal (ICT)-1 for crimes against humanity and war crimes in 1971.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">A four-member apex court bench headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed passed the order as the matter came on today's cause list for hearing.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Senior jurist Barrister Abdur Razzaq was present at the courtroom today for the Jamaat leader.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier on January 9, the apex court had set today for starting the hearing on the matter.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The defence on July 19, 2020, filed the 23-page review plea, seeking Azhar's acquittal on 14 grounds.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on October 31, 2019, pronounced its judgment, upholding the death of ATM Azharul Islam. On March 25, 2020, the apex court released the full text of that judgment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The ICT-1 on December 30, 2014, sentenced Azhar to death for his crimes against humanity in Rangpur during the War of Liberation. The tribunal in its judgment said it found him guilty in five of the total six charges it had framed against him.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Azharul Islam filed the appeal against his conviction on January 28, 2015.&nbsp;</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">BN/KH</div>