Lawyers defending Ali Ahsan Mujahid seek a meeting with him

Lawyers representing Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujahid have sought a meeting with him at  the Dhaka Central Jail.

Staff Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 13 Oct 2015, 04:51 AM
Updated : 13 Oct 2015, 05:16 AM

Ali Ahsan Mujahid (File Photo)

Mujahid is facing a death sentence for war crimes during the 1971 Liberation War, when his party opposed the Bengali independence movement and sided with Pakistan's army.
Shishir Monir, who led the defence for Mujahid, told bdnews24.com that he had sought permission from the Dhaka Central Jail authorities to meet his client.
"We have asked for permission to meet him (Mujahid) at 3 pm on Tuesday. We hope we will get the permission," said Monir.
He said four other lawyers—Mashiul Alam, Ehsan Abdullah Siddique, Motiur Rahman Akhand and Asad Uddin—would like to accompany him to discuss a possible review petition with Al Ahsan Mujahid.
The Jamaat leader has two more days left to file a petition seeking a review of his death sentence.
On Sep 30, the Supreme Court published the full verdict on the appeals against the capital punishment of BNP Standing Committee Member Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mujahid.
They were sent to the International Crimes Tribunal same day.
The next day tribunal issued the death warrants for the two war criminals and sent them to the prison authorities.
The warrants were then read out to the war crimes convicts, initiating the process for the execution of both convicts.
Both have been found guilty of 'crimes against humanity' during Bangladesh’s War of Independence in 1971.
Their lawyers had confirmed that they would file review petitions after receiving the copies of the final verdict.
Mujahid, the social welfare minister in Khaleda Zia’s BNP-Jamaat coalition Cabinet, planned and executed mass murders including those of intellectuals, scientists, academics and journalists in 1971.
The war crimes tribunal on Jul 17, 2013, ordered him to walk the gallows for the massacre of the intellectuals and involvement in the murder and torture of Hindus during the war.
Out of the seven charges levelled against him, the tribunal had found him guilty on five counts. He was given the death penalty in the first, sixth and seventh charges.
After he moved the Appellate Division against the verdict, the apex court on Jun 16 upheld the death penalty against Mujahid, who was a former commander of Al-Badr, which supported the Pakistani forces.
He will not be executed before the disposal of the review petition.
Once the review petitions is resolved and if the death sentences are upheld, the war crimes convicts 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 the convicts in jail.