War crimes convict Delwar Hossain Sayeedi on Monday filed a review petition with the High Court (HC) seeking cancellation of charge framing in a case filed against him over zakat fund embezzlement.
Sayeedi’s lawyer Md Mujahidul Islam Shahin said the review petition was filed seeking cancellation of charge framing and Sayeedi’s acquittal from the charges of embezzlement of Tk 1.27 crore from the Islamic Foundation’s Zakat Fund.
The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman might hear the appeal later, he said.
On January 11, this year charges were framed in a subordinate court against the Jamaat-e-Islami leader and five others over embezzlement of Zakat Fund.
The court fixed February 17 for the next hearing in the case.
Among the accused, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, former chairman of Mosque Council for Community Advancement and Islamic Foundation Mosque Council assistant director Md Abdul Haq are now on the run.
Three other accused Islamic Foundation’s former director Mohammad Lutful Haque, Bandhujan Parishad’s chief secretary Mia Mohammad Yunus and Islamic Social Welfare Centre’s former president Tofazzal Hossain are now on bail.
Meanwhile, the name of former State Minister for Religious Affairs Ministry, Mosharraf Hossain Shahjahan, has been dropped from the charge sheet after his death.
Islamic Foundation’s former Director Ayub Ali Chowdhury filed the case on May 24, 2010 with Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.
Wazes Ali Gazi, Assistant Director of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), submitted a charge sheet in the case on April 30, 2012 after investigations.
Sayeedi who was earlier convicted for life until death for crimes against humanity during the liberation war in 1971, has been in jail.
The International Crimes Tribunal-1 on February 28, 2013 sentenced Sayeedi to death for killing Ibrahim Kutti and Bisa Bali in Pirojpur during the Liberation War.
Following two appeals by Sayeedi and the government, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on September 17, 2014 commuted Sayeedi's death sentence to imprisonment until death.
