War criminals SQ Chowdhury, Mujahid did not seek mercy: BNP, Jamaat state

The opposition BNP and its ally Jamaat-e-Islami have rejected the claims that its leaders sought presidential mercy before being executed for war crimes.

Senior Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 21 Nov 2015, 09:24 PM
Updated : 21 Nov 2015, 09:24 PM

BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Jamaat Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid were executed at 12:55am on Sunday morning.
 
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that before the execution President Md Abdul Hamid had turned down their mercy petitions.
 
But moments before the execution, BNP in a statement citing Chowdhury’s family members said he did not seek mercy.
 
It also said that confusion had been created over the issue.
 
After meeting his father in the last moment, Chowdhury’s son Hummam Quader told reporters that when he asked about the mercy plea his father retorted, “Why are you babbling such nonsense?”
 
Humman further stated, “I told him that the government was saying that the paper (mercy plea) had been sent from the jail, to which he replied, ‘You’ll see how many types of papers will come out during this government’s tenure’”.
 
In the evening, Jamaat, in a separate statement, also rejected the government’s claim about its leader’s seeking mercy.
 
Former Al-Badr commander Mujahid was sentenced to death in 2013 for the murder of intellectuals and killing of Hindus during the Liberation War.
Salauddin Quader was handed the death penalty for the killing of Hindus and Awami League supporters in 1971.
Both served as ministers— Mujahid under Khaleda Zia and Salauddin under military dictator HM Ershad. 
Salauddin also served as parliamentary affairs advisor to Khaleda Zia.