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| Bangladesh |
| Death warrants issued for 5 |
| 2010-01-04 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] A Dhaka court yesterday issued death warrants against five convicted killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Judge Md Abdul Gafur of the District and Sessions Judge's Court issued the warrants. The court sent the death warrants in a red envelop to the senior jail super of Dhaka Central Jail directing him to take necessary steps to officially inform the confirmation of death penalty to the five convicts in the prison. Meantime, Inspector General (prisons) Brigadier General Ashraful Islam Khan told The Daily Star that he received the death warrants at 3:00pm yesterday and the convicts were informed about the warrants. The five convicts are Syed Farooq Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Bazlul Huda, AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed and Mohiuddin Ahmed. Advocate Anisul Huq, chief state counsel of the Bangabandhu murder case, told The Daily Star the count down of the execution would begin after the disposal of the review petitions if filed by the convicts. As per the Supreme Court rules the convicts can file review petitions against the SC verdict within 30 days of receiving the certified copy of the verdict. The counsels for the convicts received certified copy of the SC verdict of Bangabandhu murder case on December 24 and they could file the review petition by January 21. Sources said if the court rejects the review petitions, the convicts will get seven days to submit a mercy petition to the president. If the president rejects the mercy petitions, the prison authorities would start the process of execution as per the jail code. The sources said as per their experiences of implementing execution, the jail authorities would start counting 21 days from the day of receiving president's decision of rejection. The prison authorities can execute the convicts after 21 days but it must be before 28 days from the day of receiving the president's decision, they added. Talking to The Daily Star, barrister Abdullah Al Mamun, lawyer for Bazlul Huda and AKM Mohiuddin Ahmed yesterday said that he thinks the issuance of death warrants was illegal, as it was done before the expiry of the time frame of 30 days for submitting the review petitions. On November 19, the Appellate Division upheld the death sentences handed down by the High Court earlier to a dozen killers, including the five in the condemned cells. |
| Posted by:Fred |