Kazi Zahidul Hasan: Authorities of Dhaka Central Jail on Friday said, they are fully ready to hang convicted war criminals Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed at any time. They said, the formal process for carrying out the executions has started after the prison officers read out the warrants to Salauddin and Mojaheed on Thursday night. “As part of the process, hangmen and the rope for hanging have been kept ready inside the prison for carrying out the executions of the convicts at any time,” an official of Dhaka Central Jail told The New Nation on Friday, preferring anonymity. He added: “Soon after announcement of the SC verdict, a panel of three experienced hangmen has been kept ready”. They are: Shahjahan, Raju and Sattar, three life-term prisoners. Shahjahan and Raju will execute both the war criminals and Sattar will assist them. Shahjahan earlier executed war criminal Kader Molla, according to the Central Jail official. “A rehearsal to hang the war criminals was also held inside the jail this evening,” he added. When asked, he said, the jail authorities have already conveyed them that death warrants have been issued against them and were asked if they want to seek Presidential clemency”. “Central Jail authorities have discussed the issue with both of them but they did not response regarding the Presidential clemency,” he added. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said that measures will be taken according to the law if the war criminals Salauddin Quader (SQ) Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed seek Presidential clemency. “They are yet to seek the President’s pardon. If they do, the next course of action will be taken as per the law,” he said this while addressing at a function in the city on Friday. Replying to a question, Kamal said, “Such verdicts were our expectation and execution of Salauddin and Mojaheed is just a matter of time”. Meanwhile, the IG Prison Brigadier General Syed Iftekhar Uddin held a meeting with Senior Home Secretary Dr Mozammel Haque Khan at the latter’s Secretariat office in the city on Friday morning. Official sources said, they have discussed legal procedures relating to the implementation of the SC verdict to execute the convicted of war criminals Salauddin and Mojaheed. The Appellate Division of Supreme Court (SC) on Wednesday upheld death sentences of Salauddin and Mojaheed handed down to them by War Crimes Tribunals, rejecting their final review petitions. The verdicts however thwarted their last ditch legal efforts to escape executions. The apex court issued the full text of the judgement on Thursday and sent it to the authorities of Dhaka Central Jail. The war criminals Salauddin and Mojaheed on October 14 filed the review petitions to the SC, seeking acquittal on all the charges against them.
