Bangladesh executioner who hanged 26 convicts in jail dies in Dhaka hospital

The executioner of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's killers and other death row convicts has died after chest pain

Shahjahan Bhuiyan, a hangman for 26 convicts, including killers of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and war criminals, has died at the age of 74.

Shahjahan was declared dead by the on-duty doctor when he was brought to the Shaheed Suhrawardy Medical College and Hospital around 5:30am, said its Director Md Shafiur Rahman.

Shahjahan resided in a rented house in Savar’s Hemayetpur and was rushed to the hospital early in the morning after experiencing chest pain, according to Moshiur Rahman, a sub-inspector at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station.

He had been suffering from breathing issues, Moshiur said, citing Shahjahan’s relatives.

The police officer added that a post-mortem will be done to determine the cause of death.

Afterward, Shahjahan's body will be given to his elder sister, Feroza Begum, as per the law.

When he was 40 years old in 1991, still unmarried, Shahjahan was sentenced to 42 years in prison for robbery and murder, but the term was commuted by 10 years and five months.

The government commuted his sentence by two months for every execution he carried out, totalling four years and four months for his service to the state. His good behaviour in prison and other aspects cut some more years off his sentence.

He made headlines several times after being released from prison on Jun 18, 2023.

He has played a role as a hangman since 2001, which earned him fame as the ‘Jallad’, meaning the executioner, during his time behind bars.

Among those he executed were many infamous and influential people, and each of those hangings dragged Shahjahan to the spotlight.