Family meets war criminal Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid in jail

The family of death-row war crimes convict Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid has met him at the Dhaka Central Jail.

Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Mujahid has a week left to seek a review of the final death verdict.

His wife Tamanna-e-Jahan, sons Ali Ahmed Tamjeed, Ali Ahmed Tahkeek and Ali Ahmed Mabrur and daughter ‘Tamreen’ entered the jail around 10:45am on Friday.

Senior Jail Superintendent Md Jahangir Kabir told bdnews24.com that it was a regular meeting.

“Family members met him for half an hour from 10:50am,” he said.

A special tribunal had sentenced the “atrocious” Al-Badr commander to death on July 17, 2013 for the massacre of intellectuals and murder and torture of Hindus during the war.

On June 16 this year, the top court upheld the death sentence for Mujahid, the social welfare minister in Khaleda Zia’s BNP-Jamaat coalition cabinet.

His wife Tamanna claimed her husband was “very honest” and “completely innocent”.

“I strongly believe he will get justice and walk out of prison,” the Jamaat’s women front leader said.

She said lawyers were dealing with the review petition.

The International Crimes Tribunal issued death warrants for Mujahid and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury on Oct 1, a day after the Appellate Division published the full verdicts.

It was read out to them the same day.

The members of death-row war crimes convict Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid’s family go to meet him at the Dhaka Central Jail on Friday morning. Photo: tanvir ahammed

The members of death-row war crimes convict Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid’s family go to meet him at the Dhaka Central Jail on Friday morning. Photo: tanvir ahammed

Mujahid, 67, got 15 days, starting from Oct 1, to file a petition for review of the verdict. He cannot be executed before the review is resolved.

The same applies for 66-year-old Chowdhury.

Both the convicts have said they would seek a review.

Once their review petitions are resolved and if their death sentences are upheld, they can seek mercy from the president and meet family members.

If they are denied pardon or if they decline to appeal, the government will execute them in jail.  

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said the government would follow the law to the letter while going ahead with the cases.