Death-row war criminal Salauddin Quader’s sons seek to meet him and know his mercy plea decision

Salauddin Quader Chowdhury’s two sons and some other relatives have gone to the jail to know whether the death-row war criminal will seek the president’s mercy.

The jail authorities, however, have not permitted access to him.
 
The BNP leader’s sons Fazlul Quader Chowdhury Faiyaz, Hummam Quader Chowdhury, and several other relatives went to Dhaka Central Jail at around 9:30pm on Friday.
 
A security guard at the gate told them that the higher officials were not inside.
 
Hummam told reporters, “Yesterday’s (Thursday) visit was a casual visit. He did not say whether he would file a mercy petition.”
 
“He had only said he wanted to meet the lawyers and take decision after the meeting,” he added.
 
Hummam also said they came to meet his father because the lawyers had been denied entry even after waiting at the jail gate ‘for a long time’.
 
“My father is going to take a big decision and we don’t know what it is. We came here to know what he is thinking,” Hummam said.
 
“But (the authorities) are not giving us a chance to meet him. I hope we will be able to meet him tomorrow (Saturday),” he added.
 
All legal procedures of the trial of war criminals Salauddin Quader and Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid ended following the rejection of their petitions seeking review of their death sentences by the Supreme Court on Wednesday.
 
Presidential clemency is now the only option left for them to try to evade execution.