Staff Reporter :Family members met death row war crimes convict Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Motiur Rahman Nizami at Kashimpur jail in Gazipur on Friday morning. “A total of six members of the family-his wife Shamsunnahar, two sons Barrister Nazibur Rahman and Dr Naimur Rahman, daughter Khadiza Mohsina, daughters-in-law Riyan and Saleha-were allowed to meet him in the jail, Jail Super Proshanto Kumar Bonik of Kashimpur Jail-2 told journalists.”They entered the jail at about 11:15am and stayed there with Nizami for 40 minutes,” he said. After meeting with Nizami when the family members came out of the jail gate, the journalists tried to talk to them. But they did not respond to the journalists and left the place quickly.On Thursday, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court rejected his review petition and upheld death penalty for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.A four-member Appellate Division panel headed by Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha pronounced the verdict.The man, who led the ruthless militia Al-Badr in the massacre of Bangalees, including intellectuals and professionals, during the 1971 Liberation War, has now only one option left-seeking Presidential clemency by confessing to the crimes he committed during the nine-month war.As per the past precedents it is expected that after the SC’s dismissal of the petition, the court will release the full text of the verdict and send it to the tribunal.The copies of the verdict will be sent to the Jail Authorities and the District Magistrate in Dhaka. The Jail Authorities will then ask the condemned war criminal if he will seek Presidential clemency within a “reasonable time”.If Nizami, now 73, seeks mercy, his plea would go to the President through the Home Ministry.If he refrains from seeking clemency, the Jail Authorities will take preparations for his execution.Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal on Friday said, maintaining all legal procedures the death sentence of condemned war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami will be executed.”Government will not be in a hurry for Nizami’s execution as it wants to maintain all legal procedures,” he told journalists at his Dhanmondi residence in the city. Replying to a query about Jamaat’s hartal, the Home Minister said law enforcers will stay on stern position on that day.Jamaat-e-Islami called a 24-hour countrywide hartal for Sunday protesting the Supreme Court order.In reply to a query on the clemency seeking period, Kamal said the Jail Authorities will inform the convict about the review plea rejections and try to know whether he will seek clemency from the President.
