The family of death-row war criminal Mohammad Kamaruzzaman have gone to Dhaka Central Jail to visit him after the top appeals court refused to review the sentence.
They arrived on a microbus at the prison gate around 6:30pm on Monday, bdnews24.com correspondent Kamal Talukder reported from the scene.
They entered the premises around 6:45pm and left after an hour.
The 16 visitors included Kamaruzzaman’s wife Nurunnahar, sons Hasan Iqbal, Hasan Imam and Ahmed Hasan, daughter Atia Nur, his brother Kamrul Islam, sister-in-law Afia Nur.
Earlier, Iqbal told bdnews24.com they were told to meet Kamaruzzaman at 5pm for a last visit before his sentence was to be carried out.
However, the family members were one-and-a-half hours late.
After the verdict, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said Kamaruzzaman could seek presidential mercy and meet family members. Only after that would the verdict be executed, he added.
Kamaruzzaman’s lawyers sought permission to meet him to discuss the matter, but jail authorities rejected it.
“They’ve sent a letter to his family asking them to meet him instead,” his lawyer Shishir Monir told bdnews24.com.
After the verdict, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said Kamaruzzaman could seek presidential mercy and meet family members. Only after that would the verdict be executed, he added.
It depends on the president whether or not he will show mercy to the war criminal.
If Kamaruzzaman chooses not to seek presidential clemency, the government will move to execute the death sentence.
Otherwise, the execution will have to wait for the outcome of the mercy petition.
Kamaruzzaman’s lawyers sought permission to meet him to discuss the matter, but jail authorities rejected it.
“They’ve sent a letter to his family asking them to meet him instead,” his lawyer Shishir Monir told bdnews24.com.
Senior Jail Superintendent Farman Ali said in such cases, only family members were allowed to meet the convict.
“We rejected their (lawyers’) application since there’s no provision for them to meet [the convict] for discussion,” he explained.
Source: Bd news24
