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Published : 10 Apr 2015, 06:41 PM
Magistrates visit Kamaruzzaman
Kamaruzzaman will have to decide on presidential pardon by Thursday: State minister for home
Reasonable time for mercy plea does not mean seven days, says attorney general
War criminal Kamaruzzaman to ‘think’ before deciding on mercy petition
“Kamaruzzaman was asked about the mercy petition. He is taking time. He said ‘giving...will give’,” State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told bdnews24.com on Friday.
He said the senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader had to give his decision ‘fast’.
“We’ll make our move following the law, no matter what one says,” Kamal said.
Earlier in the morning, district magistrates Mahbub Jamil and Tanveer Mohammad Ajim met Kamaruzzaman at Dhaka Central Jail to ask him whether he wanted president’s mercy or not.
They did not speak to reporters after the meeting.
Senior Jail Superintendent Forman Ali also declined comment on the matter.
A jail official, seeking anonymity, said the magistrates spoke to Kamaruzzaman for a while and then to the top jail officials.
The state minister for home said, “If Kamaruzzaman files a mercy petition then it will be forwarded to the president. Otherwise, the verdict will be carried out as soon as possible.”
Kamaruzzaman’s family has visited him at the jail authority’s invitation after the final verdict, fulfilling one of the two steps required before he can be executed.
The other remaining issue is whether he would be seeking presidential pardon or not.
If he does, he will have to admit to his crimes. The president will decide once the plea reaches him.
If the petition is rejected or if the convict does not seek mercy, the government will take steps to execute the convict.
A copy of the full verdict reached the prison authorities on Wednesday and was read out to the death-row convict.
Kamaruzzaman said he would take a call on clemency plea after meeting his lawyers. They visited him on Thursday and said their client would take time to decide.
In response, junior minister Kamal said the war criminal would be given only a day to make up his mind.
Time limit for mercy plea
Earlier during war criminal Abdul Quader Molla’s execution, the Appellate Division said he would be given the chance to seek mercy.
In the verdict rejecting Molla’s review plea, the top appeals court said the jail code stipulating seven to 21 days for mercy would not be applicable here.
If the convict sought clemency, he could not be executed until his appeal was resolved, the court said.
But in Kamaruzzaman’s case, there is ambiguity about how much time he would get to ask for pardon or the time that can be taken to settle his mercy petition, if one filed, since it is not mentioned in the International Crimes Tribunal Act.
The same procedure was followed during Molla’s execution. But the government says the Jamaat leader did not appeal for pardon.
He was hanged on Dec 12, 2013, the very day when his review petition was rejected by the top court.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam told reporters on Wednesday that Kamaruzzaman would be given ‘reasonable time’ to plead for mercy.
File Photo
