Lawyers yet to get permission to meet Mojaheed, SQ Chy

Lawyers for death row war criminals Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed left Dhaka Central Jail after they failed to get any response from the jail authorities to meet their respective clients today.

Counsels of Salauddin left the jail gate after waiting for four hours to submit a permission letter to see their client to the jail authorities, Muhammad Huzzadul Islam Khan, a lawyer of SQ Chowdhury told our correspondent while leaving Dhaka Central Jail gate.

“Security personnel did not receive the letter and told us to wait for high up officials for permission,” said Huzzadul, who was among the two lawyers who waited at the jail gate.

Huzzadul along with another lawyer waited at the jail gate till 6:15pm.

Earlier in the morning, the lawyers of another death row war criminal Mojaheed faced a similar situation.

Five lawyers yesterday sought permission from the jail authorities to meet Mojaheed in prison today, but they are yet to get permission.

Gazi MH Tamim, one of the counsels, said that they filed the application at 5:30pm yesterday but “We are yet to get a response as of 5:10pm," he said.

He added that Mojaheed expressed his desire to meet his lawyers before making his decision on seeking presidential mercy. "That's why we sought the permission to meet him."

Other lawyers in the team are: Nazrul Islam, Mohshinul Alam, Gazi MH Tamim, Saifur Rahman and Motiur Rahman Akanda.

Meanwhile, Mojaheed’s family will hold a press conference at Supreme Court Bar Association auditorium at 12:00pm tomorrow over the permission, his elder son Ali Ahmed Mabrur told The Daily Star.

After the SC rejected the petitions of Mojaheed and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury to review their death penalties, they are now left with the last option of seeking presidential clemency by confessing to the crimes they committed during the Liberation War in 1971.

Yesterday, 12 family members met Mojaheed in the jail.

Also 15 family members of Salauddin, including Salauddin's wife Farhat Quader Chowdhury, sons Fazlul Quader and Hummam Quader, daughter Farzin Quader and sisters Jubaida Monwar and Hasina Quader met him at the jail.