President Md Abdul Hamid on Thursday rejected the mercy petition of retired Captain Abdul Majed, a death-row convict of Bangabandhu Sheik Mujibur Rahman assassination case, said law minister Anisul Huq.
The mercy petition was submitted through the Home Ministry on April 8 seeking president’s clemency. “Now, the Home Ministry and jail authorities will decide when they
will execute Majed,” added the law minister. Before execution, Majed’s relatives can meet him as per relevant laws, he said.
After the rejecton, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the reporters that as the President had rejected Majed’s mercy petition, the convicted would be executed any time. Earlier, on April 8, a Dhaka Court issued death warrant for retired Captain Abdul Majed in connection with the assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and his family members.
Judge of the District and Sessions Judge’s Court of Dhaka, Md Helal Chowdhury, passed the order after hearing on the two petitions, one for showing him arrested and the other for issuing the death warrant, filed by the prosecution team in the court.
During the hearing, Majed admitted that he was present at the killing scene, said Abdullah Abu, Metropolitan Public Prosecutor who was present in the court.
Abdul Majed was arrested from Mirpur area of the city around 3:45 am on April 7, 2020, by a Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, said Md Masudur Rahman, Deputy Commissioner (Media) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of Dhaka, AM Zulfikar Hayat, on April 7 sent Captain Abdul Majed to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj, hours after he had been arrested in the capital city early in the day.
The court passed the order after Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit under Dhaka Metropolitan Police produced him before the court.
The Supreme Court on November 19, 2009, upheld the death sentences of Abdul Majed and 11 other self-confessed killers of Bangabandhu.
Of them, AK Bazlul Huda, Syed Faruk Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan, Mohiuddin Ahmed and AKM Mohiuddin, were executed on January 27, 2010.
Six other convicts including Abdul Majed remained at large. Another condemned killer, Aziz Pasha, died in Zimbabwe in June, 2001. Remaining five absconding killers are Khandaker Abdur Rashid, Shariful Haque Dalim, Noor Chowdhury, Rashed Chowdhury and Moslehuddin Khan.
