Bangladesh
Rajshahi Jail Rajshahi Jail ready to hang Professor Taher's killers
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, 25 July 2023: Rajshahi Central Jail authorities are ready to hang the two murderers of Rajshahi University professor S Taher Ahmed.
The family members of the two convicts, Dr. Mia Mohiuddin and Jahangir Alam, who were sentenced to death, have already met them in the jail. Jahangir's younger brother Mizanur Rahman said that on Sunday the prison authorities sent a letter to them and Mohiuddin's family to meet the two prisoners. But we did not go to jail as a petition was pending in the Supreme Court. We met them today (Tuesday) as the leave to appeal against Jahangir's death sentence was rejected.
Sources said Mia Mohiuddin also met her family for the last time. Deputy Commissioner, Civil Surgeon, DIG (Prisons) and senior jail officials held a meeting inside the jail on Tuesday afternoon. However, the jail authorities did not officially say anything about the meeting.
Earlier, the Appellate Division dismissed the leave-to-appeal seeking annulment of the verdict against Jahangir. A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Hasan Faiz Siddiqui passed the order.
This incident did not prevent the execution of the two convicts who are now on death row. Additional Attorney General Sheikh Mohammad Morshed appeared for the state and advocate SN Goswami appeared for the accused.
On May 3, the Supreme Court released the full copy of the judgment dismissing the review petition. On April 5, 2022, the Supreme Court sentenced two people to death and two to life imprisonment in this case.
On March 2, the Appellate Division rejected the review application of three persons including two accused who were sentenced to death. Those sentenced to life imprisonment are Nazmul Alam and Abdus Salam, relatives of caretaker Jahangir Alam.
Professor Taher's body was recovered from a drain near his house on February 1, 2006, two days after he went missing. A murder case was filed at Rajshahi's Motihar police station on February 3 based on the complaint of his son Sanjid.
On May 22, 2008, the Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal sentenced four people to death and acquitted two others, including Mahbubul Alam Salehi, the former president of Rabi Chhatra Shibir.
On May 13, 2013, the High Court upheld the death sentences of Mohiuddin and Jahangir but sentenced Salam and Nazmul to death. After that order, Mohiuddin, Jahangir and Salam approached the High Court.
