Death Penalty: Mufti Hannan, aide seek clemency
Death row convicts Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islam Bangladesh (Huji) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and his associate Delwar Hossain Ripon yesterday sought presidential clemency.
Three members of Huji were sentenced to death for carrying out a grenade attack on the then UK envoy in Bangladesh Anwar Choudhury in 2004.
Another death row convict Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul is yet to appeal for clemency although five days have passed since he was read out the death warrant on March 22.
According to the jail code, a death row convict gets seven days to apply for mercy after they are read out the warrant.
The Supreme Court released the full text of its verdict upholding their death sentences on March 21.
Deputy Jailer of Kashimpur High Security Central Jail Md Monir Hossain told The Daily Star that Hannan had filed the mercy petition last evening.
He added the clemency application of Bipul, who is also in Kashimpur jail, was under process.
Earlier in the day, Ripon, who is now behind bars in Sylhet, wrote an application addressing the president and handed it over to the jail superintendent, confirmed Sagir Mia, senior jail superintendent of Sylhet Central Jail.
The Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal on December 23, 2008 sentenced Mufti Hannan, Bipul and Ripon to death and Muhibullah alias Muhibur Rahman alias Ovi and Mufti Main Uddin alias Abu Zandal to life imprisonment in the grenade attack case.
As per the Provision 991 (VI) of the Jail Code, the jail authorities can execute death sentences between 21 days and 28 days from the date of issuance of death warrant.
On May 21, 2004, three people were killed and around 70 others, including Anwar Choudhury, hurt in the grenade attack at a Sylhet shrine after the Juma prayers.
The Bangladesh-born British diplomat, barely 18 days into his new assignment, suffered minor leg injuries.
The HC on February 11 last year upheld the capital punishment of the three and life sentences of Ovi and Abu Zandal.
On December 7, 2016, the Supreme Court dismissed the convicts' appeals and upheld their penalties for carrying out the attack. The trio filed petitions for reviews on February 23 this year but it was turned down.
Our Gazipur correspondent contributed to the report.