There is no need to wait for the full verdict against war criminal Mohammad Kamaruzzaman to carrying out his death sentence, says Attorney General Mahbubey Alam.
Published : 05 Nov 2014, 07:15 PM
“This is my personal opinion. The prison authorities will not see the full verdict; they’ll see the order that is issued,” he said at a press briefing at his office on Wednesday.
“There is already a full verdict by the (International Crimes) tribunal. The Appellate Division just upheld it. So where is the need to wait for a full verdict now?”
The Appellate Division on Monday upheld the death sentence awarded to the Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general by Bangladesh's second war crimes tribunal for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
Alam maintained Kamaruzzaman had the option to seek pardon from the president but not for a review of the verdict.
Earlier, on Sep 17 last year, the Appellate Division revised the life term for Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Molla to death penalty.
Around two and a half months after the judgment, its full version was published and Molla was executed on Dec 12.
Alam asked if there was any need to wait for the copy of the verdict’s full version as the Appellate Division had not revised the punishment.
The attorney general talked to journalists merely an hour after Kamaruzzaman’s lawyer Khandaker Mahbub Hossain, also the President of Supreme Court Bar Association, said that a petition would be filed for the verdict review.
Hossain told a press conference at the High Court Bar Association auditorium that the verdict required a review under Article 105 of the Constitution, as the death sentence was upheld in a ‘divided’ judgment.
“I think the Supreme Court will hear the petition in the interest of justice even if the Article 105 is not applicable to this trial,” he said.
Attorney general Alam differed with the Hossain’s contention.
He read out Article 47(a) of the Constitution in support of his position.
Alam said the defence was talking about a review ‘only to waste’ time.
He said: “I want to ask those who say that 195 Pakistani Army men have to be brought to Bangladesh and tried if this law says anywhere that unless they (Pakistanis) are tried others can’t be tried.”
The attorney general said: “Article 104 on the Appellate Division spokes of justice. Those who have been convicted have got the full scope of justice. They have not been caught and punished.”
“Those who have lost mothers, fathers and children have to get justice, too. Justice is a relative matter. Those who are waiting for the last 43 years have to get justice too.”
Alam said that the Jail Code would not be applicable to Kamaruzzaman verdict.
He said: “The Jail Code won’t be applicable here. The government will decide how the verdict will be executed. The judgment will be executed as per the government’s decision.”
Quader Molla had also applied for a review but the appeal was rejected.