Referring to the execution of war criminal Abdul Qader Molla, Britain has expressed concerns over the use of death penalty in Bangladesh.
In a statement issued yesterday evening, British Senior Foreign Office Minister Baroness Warsi said: “I am deeply concerned at reports of plans to execute Abdul Qader Molla in the coming days.
“The UK calls again for Bangladesh to implement a moratorium on the death penalty leading to the eventual abolition of the death penalty.”
Britain opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as a matter of principle and considers that its use undermines human dignity and that there is no conclusive evidence of its deterrent value.
“We further note that Abdul Quader Molla was sentenced to death following an appeal permitted under retrospectively applied legislation, and that he was not permitted to review his sentence before the Supreme Court.”
Bangladesh’s commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) require that all citizens be treated equally before the law.
