DHAKA: Dhaka District Magistrate on his way to meet death convict war criminal Muhammad Kamaruzzaman to know about his decision on seeking presidential clemency.
State Minister for Home affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told reporters at his secretariat office on Thursday noon.
He also said, “Kamaruzzaman has to decide today whether he will seek clemency. Otherwise the verdict will be executed soon if he does not do so.”
Earlier in the day, after meeting with death row convict Kamaruzzaman, defence lawyers Thursday said the Jamaat leader himself will take decision whether he will seek presidential mercy for his wartime crimes.
“Mohammad Kamaruzzuzaman will take reasonable time; he will think whether he will file mercy petition,” said advocate Shishir Monir, counsel of convicted war criminal Kamaruzzaman at jail gate.
A 5-member team including Advocate Shishir Monir entered into at Dhaka Central Jail at 10:52am taking permission from jail authority.
On Wednesday, full verdict of death sentence was read out to Kamaruzzaman in Central Jail.
Chief Justice (CJ) SK Sinha and three other judges signed the copy of the Appellate Division's verdict on the review petition filed by Jamaat leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman.
The attorney general also said government will take action to execute the verdict as per section 20 (3) of International Crimes (Tribunals) Act 1973. Home ministry will fix the time for Kamaruzzaman’s execution.
Senior jail super Farman Ali of Dhaka central jail on Wednesday told reporters that after receiving the copy of review verdict, the jail authorities will ask Kamaruzzaman whether he will seek presidential mercy.
If he denies or President rejects his mercy petition, then the Home Ministry will fix the time for his execution and the jail authorities will execute him, said Attorney General Mahbubey Alam.
Earlier on April 6, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court rejected review petition of Jamaat assistant secretary general leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman against its verdict that upheld the death penalty of him.
On May 9, 2013, the ICT-2, led-by Justice Obaidul Hassan, awarded capital punishment to the Jamaat assistant secretary general for his crimes against humanity during country’s Liberation War in 1971.
BDST: 1340 HRS, APR 09, 2015
AKA/SMS
