Mercy pleas on way to PMO: Home minister

 

Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury

Star Online Report

Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed’s mercy pleas are now on way to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) before they reache the president.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told The Daily Star this afternoon that the petitions, the last hope for the two top war criminals, reached his desk around 2:30pm.
He said the petitions, labeled “Appeal for mercy” on top, were being sent to the Prime Minister’s Office after viewed by Law Minister Anisul Huq – when The Daily Star called him around 5:00pm.
As part of heightened security measures, authorities have decided to deploy paramilitary Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in Dhaka and Chittagong from 6:30pm this evening.
Security around Dhaka Central Jail and adjoining areas was heightened. A large number of law enforcers including police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) and prison guards were deployed.
Meanwhile, family and lawyers of SQ Chowdhury and Mojaheed were still dubious on whether the mercy petitions were filed at all, after the law minister’s confirmation earlier today.
READ more: Waiting for mercy plea decisions
Around 5:20pm, Hummam Quader Chowdhury, SQ Chowdhury’s son, told reporters he was denied to meet his father at Dhaka Central Jail. “We don’t know yet if he filed mercy petition.”
“We don’t believe that our father filed for mercy,” said Fazlul Quader Fayaz, his other son.
Earlier in the day, two magistrates went to the Dhaka Central Jail to know whether the two top war criminals – Mojaheed of Jamaat-e-Islami and Chowdhury of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) – would seek presidential mercy.
Yesterday, the authorities asked Mojaheed and Salauddin whether they would seek presidential clemency, the last option for the two convicts to avoid gallows. Both of them had said they would inform the prisons officials about their decision later.
A day after delivering verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday released its full verdicts that dismissed Mojaheed and Chowdhury’s petitions to review their death sentences originally handed down by two war crimes tribunals in 2013.
Later, jail officials read out the SC verdicts to the war crimes convicts.

President, PM pay homage to armed forces’ martyrs

UNB, Dhaka

President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid homage to members of Bangladesh Armed Forces, who made supreme sacrifices in the Liberation War in 1971, on the occasion of the Armed Forces Day today.
The president, also the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces, placed wreaths at the altar of Shikha Anirban (eternal flame) at 8:00am and stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of respect to memories of the martyrs.
A smartly turned out contingent of the army, the navy and the air force presented a salute on the occasion. Later, President Abdul Hamid signed the visitors’ book on the premises of the Shikha Anirban.
The prime minister paid the homage by placing a wreath at Shikha Anirban (flame eternal) at Dhaka Cantonment.
After laying the wreath, she stood there in solemn silence for some time as a mark of respect to the memories of the martyrs.
A smartly-turned out contingent drawn from the Army, Navy and Air Force presented a guard of honour as the bugle played the last post. Later, the prime minister, also in-charge of the Ministry of Defence, signed the visitors' book on the Shikha Anirban premises.
Earlier on her arrival, the chiefs of the three services and the principal staff officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division received the prime minister.

After the wreath-placing ceremony, Hasina went to the Armed Forces Division (AFD) where the chiefs of the three services made a courtesy call on her.

On her arrival at the AFD, the premier was received by the PSO and directors generals of the AFD.
On this day during the War of Liberation in 1971, the Bangladesh Armed Forces comprising Army, Navy and Air Force, came into being and launched an all-out attack on the Pakistani occupation forces.
Since the country's independence, this historic day is observed as the Armed Forces Day every year.

Babar at DMCH for checkup

Ex-state minister Lutfozzaman Babar is among the 32 indicted for the murder case of Awami League leader and former finance minister SAMS Kibria. Prothom Alo file photo

Star Online Report

Former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar has been taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) for medical checkup following an order of a Sylhet court dealing with former finance minister SAMS Kibria murder case.
The jail authorities along with Babar, an accused in former finance minister SMA Kibria murder case, started from Kashimpur Jail-1 in Gazipur for DMCH around 8:00am, said Subrata Kumar Bala, jail super of the jail.
“Babar has been taken to hospital in compliance with a Sylhet court order,” Bala said.
The Sylhet Speedy Trial Tribunal on Thursday asked the Kashimpur jail authorities for his check up following an appeal submitted by Babar through his lawyer, said Kishore Kumar Kar, public prosecutor of the tribunal.
On September 13, the tribunal framed 32 people including Babar in the murder case of the Awami League leader.
The then opposition lawmaker and Awami League leader Kibria and four others were killed in a grenade attack on a rally in Habiganj on January 27, 2005.
Babar is also a death row convict in Chittagong arms haul case filed for smuggling in 10 truckloads of firearms in 2004.