Bangladesh’s Supreme Court acquitted Khan Akram Hossain, a war crime convict from Bagerhat district, overturning his life sentence in a crimes against humanity case related to the country’s 1971 Liberation War. Akram, a member of the Razakar force, was found guilty of detaining and torturing a freedom fighter, resulting in his death. The court’s decision came after Akram challenged the International Crimes Tribunal judgment from 2015.
The ICT had sentenced Akram to life imprisonment in August 2015, while another accused, Sheikh Sirajul Haque, received the death penalty for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. Abdul Latif Talukdar, the third suspect, died of age-related illnesses during the trial and was removed from the case. Akram filed an appeal with the Supreme Court challenging his life sentence, leading to his recent acquittal.
This development marks another instance of a 1971 war crime convict being acquitted through a review petition since the fall of the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government in August 2024. In a separate case, the Supreme Court also acquitted Jamaat-e-Islami’s radical leader, ATM Azharul Islam, overturning his death sentence for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. Azharul Islam, who was accused of serious crimes, was released after spending nearly 13 years in jail.
