The family of convicted war criminal Mohammad Kamaruzzaman awaiting hanging will visit him on Saturday, his son has said.
“We wanted to see him today (Friday). But the lawyers asked us to do so after their visit on Saturday,” said Hasan Iqbal, son of the Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general.
He said the jail authorities did not get in touch with the family until Friday noon, though the death warrant had been read out on Thursday to the Jamaat leader, sentenced to death for crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War.
“We meet our father once a month. We met him on Jan 31st. After that, we were to meet him on Feb 28,” Iqbal said.
Senior Jail Super Forman Ali said Kamaruzzaman’s lawyers verbally informed them to meet the convict at 10:30am on Saturday. “But they did not file any written application until Friday noon,” he added.
The process of executing the death sentence started following the issuance of the death warrant by the Second International Crimes Tribunal on Thursday. The warrant was read out to the convict later in the day.
Forman Ali said Kamaruzzaman wanted to talk to his lawyers first after the death warrant had arrived.
He has a chance to file a review petition within 15 days of the publication of the full verdict by the Supreme Court that was done on Wednesday.
ICT Prosecutor Zead-Al-Malum said the government would have to go ahead with the process to execute the death verdict.
“But it will have to be postponed if the Supreme Court asks to do so,” he added.
Defence lawyer Khandker Mahbub Hossain said they would file a review petition within 15 days of getting the certified copy of the Supreme Court verdict.
The ICT sentenced to death the Mymensingh unit chief of wartime force Al Badr on May 9, 2013.
The Supreme Court upheld the verdict.
Another Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Molla was hanged on Dec 12, 2013 for his wartime atrocities.
Source: Bd news24
