The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has acquitted Khan Akram Hossain in a case related to crimes against humanity dating back to 1971. This decision overturns a 2015 ruling by the International Crimes Tribunal‑1 (ICT‑1) that had originally sentenced him to life imprisonment.
Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury led the five‑member bench that accepted Akram’s appeal challenging the ICT‑1 verdict. Akram, who is currently incarcerated in Kashimpur jail, is expected to be released upon the jail authorities receiving the advance order from the apex court, as confirmed by his lawyer Barrister Imran Siddiq.
Siddiq mentioned, “We have already submitted the request for the advance order. Once it is issued, Khan Akram Hossain is set to be released, hopefully by next Sunday.”
In response to the Supreme Court’s decision, ICT Chief Prosecutor Md Aminul Islam stated that the state will consider filing a review petition once they have received the full text of the verdict. Back in 2015, ICT‑1 had found Akram guilty of one count of crimes against humanity in Bagerhat during the 1971 Liberation War, sentencing him to life imprisonment. Two other charges against him were dismissed at that time.
