Quasem waits for 'picked-up' son to return

Condemned war criminal Mir Quasem Ali will not decide whether to seek presidential clemency until his son, allegedly picked up by unidentified men 22 days ago, returns home.

Khandakar Ayesha Khatun, wife of the Jamaat-e-Islami leader, told this to reporters after meeting her husband at Kashimpur Central Jail-2 in Gazipur yesterday.

Inspector General of Prisons Brig Gen Syed Iftekhar Uddin, however, said the 63-year-old convict would get a “reasonable time” to decide and the time would not be more than seven days.

Earlier in the day, Quasem, considered a top financier of Jamaat, sought time to decide on filing a petition for presidential clemency, the last option to avoid the gallows.

Prasanta Kumar Banik, senior jail superintendent of Kashimpur Jail, said that around 7:30am yesterday they read out to Quasem the full verdict of the Supreme Court that dismissed his petition for reviewing its judgment, upholding his death penalty for committing crimes against humanity in 1971.

When the jail authorities asked him whether he would seek presidential clemency, Quasem sought time to think, he said, adding that the jail authorities received the copy of the verdict around 12:45am yesterday.

If Quasem, a Jamaat central executive council member, seeks mercy, his plea would go to the president through the home ministry. If he doesn't, the jail authorities would make preparations for his execution.

Syed Iftekhar, who visited Kashimpur Jail yesterday evening, told reporters that the jail authorities would ask him again to know whether Quasem would seek presidential mercy, reports our Gazipur correspondent.

FAMILY MEETS QUASEM

Nine members of Quasem's family, including his wife and two daughters, entered the jail around 2:30pm and stayed there for an hour, reports our Gazipur correspondent, citing the senior jail superintendent.

Coming out of the jail, Ayesha Khatun talked to reporters.

“My son is also one of the lawyers in the case. Without consulting him, I cannot make any decision whether I would submit mercy petition or not,” Ayesha quoted her husband as saying.

Ahmed Bin Quasem was allegedly picked up by some unidentified men from his Mirpur DOHS home in the capital on the night of August 9 and he has been traceless since then.

Asked about the allegation of the sons of three war criminals being picked up by plainclothes men, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque at a press conference at Police Headquarters yesterday said if anyone had gone missing and complaints were lodged in that regard, police would try their best to find them.

Apart from Quasem's son, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Ghulam Azam's sons were allegedly picked up this month.

WHAT IG (PRISONS) SAYS?

Syed Iftekhar Uddin held a press briefing at prisons' headquarters around 4:00pm yesterday.

Replying to a question, he said Quasem would be given a reasonable time, which may be a maximum of seven days.

About the place of execution, the prisons chief said, “He [Quasem] is now in Kashimpur Central Jail and we'll consult with all stakeholders and decide on the place of execution.”

Earlier, five war criminals were executed at Dhaka Central Jail which has been shifted recently to Keraniganj from the old part of the city.

About their preparation for the execution, the IG prisons said, “The prisons authorities are always ready to perform their duties. So there is no need to take preparation separately for it [execution].”

He said family members of a convict usually meet the convict after dismissal of review petition and that the meeting between Quasem and his family member was a usual one. The family would get the chance to meet him for the last time before execution, if he does not seek clemency or the president rejects his plea, Iftekhar added.

HARTAL

The country yesterday witnessed another lax hartal enforced by Jamaat for what it claimed the government's conspiracy to kill Quasem.

The hartal passed peacefully and there was no report of any untoward incident in Dhaka or other parts of the country. No picketing or flash procession was reported, reported our correspondents.

Traffic was normal on all major thoroughfares and streets in the capital. Commuters were seen going to work and business.

Police early yesterday arrested at least six Jamaat men from Sylhet, Satkhira and Sherpur for allegedly planning subversive activities during hartal.

BACKGROUND

The Supreme Court on Tuesday dismissed Quasem's petition for reviewing its judgment that upheld his death penalty for committing crimes against humanity in 1971. The apex court released the full verdict and sent it to the International Crimes Tribunal around 6:00pm.

The ICT then sent the copies of the verdict to Dhaka Central Jail, the office of Dhaka district magistrate and law and home ministries.

Quasem, the chief of ruthless militia Al-Badr in Chittagong, set up a torture camp at Mahamaya Dalim Hotel in the port city and masterminded brutal torture and killings of many freedom-loving people.

The ICT-2 gave him the death penalty on two charges and different jail terms on eight other charges. He challenged the verdict at the apex court.

On March 8 this year, the SC upheld his death sentence on one charge -- the killing of young freedom fighter Jasim Uddin at Dalim Hotel -- and jail terms on six other charges for his involvement in abduction, confinement and torture of freedom fighters and innocent people.

It, however, acquitted him of the other three charges, including a murder charge on which he was sentenced to death by the ICT-2.

Quasem filed a petition seeking review of his convictions and sentences on June 19.