The jail authorities have been ordered to take necessary preparations in order to execute war criminal Mohammad Kamaruzzaman.
Law Minister Anisul Huq made the disclosure while addressing a press briefing on Wednesday.
He said: “As per the jail code, I have asked the jail authorities to take all the necessary and relevant preparations to execute Kamaruzzaman. As we have the apex court order, there is no bar to execute him before getting the copy of the full verdict.”
On May 9 last year, International Crimes Tribunal awarded death sentence to Kamaruzzaman for committing heinous crimes against humanity. He appealed against the judgement after a month.
On Monday, Appellate Division of the Supreme Court sentenced Kamaruzzaman to death for crimes against humanity committed during the 1971 Liberation War.
Kamaruzzaman, the senior assistant secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, will get seven days to seek the presidential clemency, said the law minister in the briefing.
Noting that the 7-day period would be counted immediately after the verdict was announced, Anisul Huq said: “I have learnt from the Jail Super that Kamaruzzaman has heard about the verdict.”
Starting from November 3, Kamaruzzaman will get seven days to seek presidential clemency
Earlier in the day, Kamaruzzaman's counsel Khandakar Mahabub Hossain said the jail authorities must have the copy of the full verdict of the Appellate Division to execute Kamaruzzaman.
Later in the day, Attorney General Mahbub-e-Alam opined that the full copy was not necessary to execute Kamaruzzaman as the apex court has only upheld the tribunal's verdict.
When asked about the full verdict issue, the law minister said: “The issue of full verdict has not been written anywhere [in law]. What was mentioned was the order, short order.”
“So, it could be done on receiving the short order,” law minister Anisul added.
He said: “As per the short order, I have to order the jail authorities to take preparations and I have made the order. Nothing will be done illegally.”
Earlier in the day, the family members of condemned war criminal Mohammad Kamaruzzaman have met with him at Dhaka Central Jail.
A total of 10 members, including his wife, four sons, one daughter, brother, sister and maternal aunt entered the jail gate around 10:25am and came out around 11:20am after meeting with Kamaruzzaman, said Hasan Iqbal, son of the war criminal.
The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Monday upheld the tribunal verdict that had awarded death sentence to Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general for committing crimes against humanity during the Liberation War in 1971.
On Tuesday, M Kamaruzzaman was shifted to Dhaka Central Jail from Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur.