Staff Reporter :Mir Quasem Ali, convicted for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971, on Thursday further sought extra time from the authorities concerned to take decision whether he will apply for presidential clemency. “He [Quasem] sought time again for taking a decision over filing mercy petition,” Jail Super of Kashimpur jail Proshanto Kumar Banik said yesterday. “Mir Quasem is now staying at the part-2 of Kashimpur high security jail.”The Jail Super said: “On Thursday morning, the concerned jail officials met Mir Quasem Ali and asked him to convey his decision about Presidential clemency. At that time, Quasem said he will need more time to think about it.” It is the second time the convicted Jamaat-e-Islami leader sought time from Kashimpur jail authorities for the same reason. Earlier on Wednesday, he made the same plea to the authorities. The Jail Super read out the Supreme Court’s verdict to Mir Quasem Ali, rejecting his petition for review of its earlier judgment giving him death penalty for his wartime crimes. Earlier on Tuesday, after the SC released the full text of the verdict, it was sent to the International Crimes Tribunal. Later, Proshanto Kumar Banik and Nasir Ahmed [jailor of jail-2] entered the condemned cell with a copy of the full text of the verdict. Wife of Mir Quasem Ali, Khandaker Ayesha Khatun earlier on Wednesday told journalists that he [Quasem] will not take any decision about Presidential clemency instead of knowing the whereabouts of his “missing” son. She conveyed her husband’s desire to the journalists after meeting with Quasem at Kashimpur jail. Ayesha Khatun along with eight family members went to jail to see Quasem at 2:45 pm on Thursday.”A group of white plain clothes people picked up my son Barrister Ahmed Bin Quasem from my house about 22 days ago. We need him for taking any sort of family decision. My husband will not give any decision about Presidential clemency without consulting my son. No family member can give such decision,” Khandaker Ayesha Khatun said.
