Death-row war criminals Salauddin Quader, Mujahid to file review petitions Wednesday

War criminals BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid will file petitions on Wednesday for a review of their death sentences upheld by the Appellate Division.

Their lawyers told bdnews24.com about the matter on Tuesday.

BNP Standing Committee member Chowdhury and Jamaat Secretary General Mujahid have two days left to file the petition.

The Appellate Division issued the verdict against Chowdhury on July 29 and Mujahid on June 16. 

The full verdicts were published and sent to the International Crimes Tribunal on the same day – Sep 30.

The tribunal issued the death warrants and sent them to jail authorities on the following day.

The counting of 15-day period to file review petition started when the jail authorities read out the death warrants to Chowdhury and Mujahid on Oct 1.

Chowdhury is currently at Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur and Mujahid at Dhaka Central Jail.

Once their review petitions are resolved and if their death sentences are upheld, the war crimes convicts will have the opportunity to seek mercy from the president and meet family members.
 
If they are denied pardon, the government will execute the convicts through the jail authorities.

Mujahid’s five lawyers Shishir Munir, Moshiul Alam, Ehsan Abdullah Siddique, Motiur Rahman Akand and Asad Uddin met him at the jail on Tuesday afternoon.

Later, Munir told bdnews24.com they would file the review petition on Wednesday.

Mujahid raised two questions in the meeting, the lawyer said.

“The first one is – he was 23 in 1971. He was a student at the time. How can a student be the commander of a paramilitary force?

“The investigation officer said Mujahid’s name was not on any committee of Al Badr, Razakar or Peace Committee. Then how was he the commander of Al Badr force?   

“Besides these, the State could not present any document or witness to say who appointed him the Al Badr commander and how.” 

Munir said they would raise these points in the review petition.

“Mujahid hopes that the Appellate Division will consider the points and acquit him,” he added.

Chowdhury’s lawyer Hujjatul Islam Khan Alfesani told bdnews24.com: “The 15-day period to file the review petition ends on Oct 15. So we are filing the petition on Wednesday.”

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal had earlier said the government would follow the law to execute the two war criminals.

Mujahid’s lawyers met him earlier on Oct 3 and Chowdhury’s lawyers on Oct 6.

On Oct 9, Mujahid’s wife and three children saw him at the jail.