Convicted BNP man gets amnesty after 22 years

Mohiuddin Jintu, who was awarded death sentence 22 years ago in a double murder case, got presidential amnesty within 10 days of his surrender before the Metropolitan Sessions Judge's Court on January 3.

The president granted him amnesty on January 13 and the home ministry immediately sent his release order to Dhaka Central Jail where he was sent following surrender. Jintu was freed the same day.

Jintu, a Bangladeshi expatriate in Sweden, had been absconding for the last 22 years since a military court sentenced him to death along with notorious criminal Galkata Kamal and two others for killing businessmen Abdul Khaleq Rana and Firoz Al Mamun of Demra.

Kamal was executed and the two others are still on the run.

In his submission to the judge's court, Jintu identified himself as founder vice-president of city unit of Jubo Dal and presently president of BNP's Sweden unit.

The constitution empowers the president to grant amnesty to a person awarded death penalty.

"President can grant amnesty on humanitarian grounds and in case of a flaw in a judgement," said Dr Zahir, a constitution expert.

"But it is not clear to me on which ground the president granted amnesty to a person convicted in a murder case," he told The Daily Star.

The judge's court sent Jintu to jail on his surrender and directed the jail authorities to forward the convict's amnesty prayer to the authorities concerned.

Jailer of Dhaka Central Jail Kamrul Islam said the amnesty prayer was not forwarded through the jail authorities. The respondents themselves sent the prayer to the president through the home ministry.

According to records, Galkata Kamal and his accomplices killed the two businessmen, Rana and Mamun on January 25, 1982.

Rana's wife Nilufar Yasmin filed a murder case with Demra Police Station and police filed charge sheet against Kamal and three others including Ruhul Amin Hawlader, a minister in the then autocratic regime of HM Ershad. Jintu's name was included in a supplementary charge sheet.

A military court on July 20, 1982 gave death penalty to Kamal, his accomplices Shahid Hossain and Abul Kashem, and Jintu.

Jintu told the Judge's court that he had joined the BNP being inspired by the ideals of founder of the party late president Ziaur Rahman but he fell victim to political vengeance as the situation changed after Zia's assassination. He was falsely implicated in the murder case, he claimed.

He also said that on the advice of BNP leaders, he had fled the country after the fall of justice Sattar government in 1982.

He went to Sweden on political asylum and did not come to Bangladesh in the last 22 years. He had consulted the BNP leaders before he came home for surrender to court, he added.

Naming a BNP minister and a pro-BNP lawyer, Jintu said everything was arranged as per their advice and they lobbied for me at the top level.