subject: Bangladesh: Justice delayed and denied (Part 2) [print this page] By William Gomes By William Gomes
Five former army officers were executed in Bangladesh on Jan. 28 for assassinating Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding leader of Bangladesh, in 1975. While the death penalty could not be overturned, the local media reported on Jan. 19 that the president had considered and rejected the mercy petition of three of the accused - Mohiuddin Ahmed, A.K.M. Mohiuddin Ahmed, and Bazlul Huda. The other two - Syed Farooq-ur Rahman and Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan did not request for mercy.
It is a tradition that mercy petitions are normally considered after all the judicial processes and options are over.
Sheikh Hasina, one of Mujibur Rahman's two surviving daughters and the present prime minister of Bangladesh publicly vowed to find six other killers of her father, hiding as fugitives, and execute them at any cost. "Wherever the killers are, they will be brought back and executed. The world is small, where will they escape to?" she said at Gano Bhaban.
Followers of the Awami League party reportedly harassed some family members of the executed men including during the burial of one of the men. The families now fear of persecution and more harassment.
The media mostly played a politically bias role. The notable Daily Ittefaq had labeled the sentenced men as saviors of the nation in 1975, but titled them national enemies after their execution.
In addition, the media did not respect the privacy and security of family members of the executed men, nor did they report their views and comments. The role of Rahman and some of his family members was questionable during a time of conflict that had many political problems. This is widely known in political circles.
The question is whether the trial was free and fair and the answer is, it was not. When the United Nations general assembly adopted resolution 62/149 on Dec.18, 2007, calling for a worldwide moratorium on executions, the resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority of 104 member states. Fifty-four countries voted against it and 29 abstained.
Bangladesh along with its prime minister and the political regime is practicing the inhuman "death penalty" and wrongly influencing free and fair trials.
For Sheikh Hasina, I leave a note, "To take a life when a life has been lost is revenge, not justice," Desmond Tutu said.
And for the reader, I pose the question by Victor Hugo. "What says the law? You will not kill. How does it say it? By killing."
It is time to take a decision and change the "killing law" and make the world more human.
