The Dhaka Central Jail authorities have not received the copy of war crimes convict Mohammad Kamaruzzaman's review rejection order as the Supreme Court judges are yet to sign it.
SC Registrar Syed Aminul Islam said: “The documents related to the death row Jamaat leader's review rejection order could not be released as the apex court judges are yet to sign it.”
Moreover, the issue of seeking presidential mercy by the Jamaat top brass has not been sorted out yet.
As the copy of the review rejection order has not been released, the jail authorities could not ask the convict to seek clemency, said Senior Jail Super Forman Ali.
Replying to a query, he told the Dhaka Tribune: “Upon receiving the copy, we will read it out to Kamaruzzaman and ask him whether he would seek the presidential clemency.”
Earlier in the day, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the government will take decision over Kamaruzzaman’s execution after the disposal of clemency if the Jamaat leader seeks mercy.
Alam said: “Kamaruzzman will be given reasonable time for seeking presidential mercy. Then the president will think whether to accept or reject the petition.”
“The execution will have to wait for the outcome of the mercy petition.”
Asked about the death warrant, he said: “Now there is no bar in implementing the Supreme Court verdict as the death warrant has already been issued.”
He said the SC upheld Kamaruzzaman’s death sentence for killing 144 villagers at Sohagpur village in Sherpur during the 1971 Liberation War.
Kamaruzzaman’s lawyers filed the petition on March 5 seeking review of the death penalty upheld by the Appellate Division on November 3 last year.
He is the second war crimes convict to file a review petition with the top court. Another Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Molla was executed on December 12, 2013.
