Kamaruzzaman will have to decide on presidential pardon by Thursday: State minister for home

Death-row war crimes convict Mohammad Kamaruzzaman has to decide by Thursday whether he would seek presidential pardon, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said.

He said this on Thursday after the war criminal’s lawyers met him at the jail in the morning.

 

“He has to let us know by today that whether he wants [to seek pardon]. The IG prisons is acting according to the instructions we got from the court,” he said while speaking to the press at his office.

 

Kamal said the government’s steps would be in line with ‘the court’s order and the jail code’

“The district magistrate will meet him in a while. 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.”

 

Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal (File Photo)

Asked how long Kamaruzzaman might take to decide, he replied: “We are waiting for his decision. If he doesn’t seek pardon, then we will do whatever the law stipulates.”

To a query on whether the verdict would be carried out on Thursday if a mercy petition is not filed, Kamal said: “I can’t say that.”

He said that there would be ‘no delay’ in carrying out the execution. “Rest assure that the process will be completed appropriately.”

Earlier, on Thursday, Kamaruzzaman’s lawyers said that he would ‘think about’ whether to file a mercy petition.

“He said he will think about the next step. He will inform the appropriate authorities of his decision after thinking over the matter,” counsel Shishir Monor told reporters after a 30-minute meeting with their client at the Dhaka Central Jail.

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