Full verdict released, no bar to execute Mufti Hannan

The Supreme Court today released full verdict on the review petition of militant leader Mufti Abdul Hannan, that upheld his death for a 2004 grenade attack on UK envoy in Dhaka.

The release of the full verdict has cleared the way for the jail authorities to start the process for executing the convicts, Additional Registrar of the High Court, Sabbir Faiz told The Daily Star.

He said the verdict will now be sent to the trial court and jail authorities in Sylhet.

Then , the jail authorities will ask Mufti Hannan and two others-- Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul and Delwar Hossain Ripon – whether they will seek presidential clemency as a last resort.

If they do not seek presidential mercy or if the president rejects their mercy petition upon their filing, jail authorities will execute them, Sabbir Faiz said.

The Supreme Court on Sunday dismissed the petitions by accused Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islam (Huji) militants, including its chief Mufti Abdul Hannan, seeking reviews of the SC's previous verdict upholding their death sentences.

In 2004, the then UK envoy Anwar Chowdhury, who was born in Bangladesh, and 70 others were injured in the attack at the shrine of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) in Sylhet. Three people, including a police officer, were killed.

On December 23, 2008, the Sylhet Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal sentenced Mufti Hannan, Bipul and Ripon to death. Two other members of the now banned militant outfit were given life time in jail. They are Muhibullah alias Muhibur Rahman alias Ovi and Mufti Main Uddin alias Abu Zandal.

Read more: Huji Leader Mufti Hannan: Last legal bar to execution goes

On December 7 last year, the SC upheld the death penalty of  Hannan, Bipul and Ripon.

The trio filed for reviews on February 23 this year.

Earlier on February 11 last year, the High Court confirmed the capital punishments for the three and upheld the life sentences of Ovi and Abu Zandal.

Mufti Hannan and Bipul later filed appeals with the SC challenging the HC verdict.