1971 War Crimes convict Khan Akram cleared by Appellate Division

The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has aquited Khan Akram Hossain who was sentenced to death for crimes against humanity during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War.

A bench led by the Chief Justice Zubayer Rahman Chowdhury passed the order on Thursday (February 26), overturning the death sentence previously handed down by the International Crimes Tribunal on November 30, 2023.

In the original verdict, six others alongside Khan Akram were also sentenced to death. Three of the convicts were in custody, while the remaining four were fugitives.

The charges included killings, abductions, arson, looting, and sexual violence in Bagerhat, Kachua, Udan Khali, and surrounding areas during the 1971 conflict.

After extensive hearings and legal review, the Appellate Division today acquitted Khan Akram Hossain, effectively nullifying the tribunal’s earlier death sentence.