In their final hours

The road leading to Dhaka Central Jail from Chawkbazar was made off limits to public around 8:00pm yesterday. All shops in nearby areas were closed by then.

Law enforcers, who stood guard in front of the main gate of the prison, allowed only journalists to stay there.

Meanwhile, the process of executing two war crimes convicts -- Jamaat leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury -- was already underway inside the jail.

A group of seven hangmen had their last rehearsal for execution in the evening.

Both convicts took bath around 7:00pm and offered the Esha prayers.

They then had a simple meal -- rice, vegetable, chicken and pulse -- provided by the jail authorities around 9:00pm, said prison sources.

Later, Dhaka Civil Surgeon Abdul Malek Mridha checked their health.

Moulana Monir Hossain, imam of Dhaka Central Jail Mosque, first administered tawba (pardon) to Salauddin and then to Mojaheed.

The hangmen handcuffed the two and put nooses around their necks at the condemned cells. 

Around 12:50am, Salauddin and Mojaheed were brought to the gallows from their cells.

It took them a few minutes to reach the gallows where 12 armed prison guards had already taken position.

A hangman was waiting there for the jail super's nod to pull the levers to part the scaffolds.

As the clock struck 12:55am, Senior Jail Super Jahangir Kabir gave the nod by dropping a handkerchief from his hand. The hangman immediately pulled the levers.

The two were kept hanging from the noose for around 20 minutes, said jail staffs.

After that, the civil surgeon checked the bodies and declared them dead.

The bodies of Mojaheed and Salauddin were taken out of the jail by two ambulances around 2:50am.

FAMILY MET THE CONDEMNED

Around 8:00pm, the prison authorities asked the families of the two convicts to meet them for the last time. Eighteen members of Salauddin's family reached the jail gate around 9:00pm and entered the prison at 9:30pm.

After meeting his father, Hummum Quader Chowdhury, eldest son of Salauddin, said, "My father's last words were that he would be killed because he had remained undefeated in elections."

Later, at least 20 members of Mojaheed's family entered the jail around 11:00pm.

Mojaheed's brother Ali Afzal Mohammad Khalej said his brother sought blessings from the countrymen.