The apex court has sentenced a teacher of Rajshahi University along with another person to the gallows over the murder of senior faculty member Prof Dr S Taher Ahmed.
The authorities concerned now will prepare to hang Dr Mia Mohammad Mohiuddin, an associate professor of RU’s Geology and Mining department; and Md Jahangir Alam, caretaker of Prof S Taher’s residence.
The two death-row convicts on Thursday (March 2) lost their final legal battle as the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court rejected their pleas, seeking review of its order that upheld their death sentences for killing Prof S Taher Ahmed.
Through the order, the legal process has come to an end. Now there is no legal bar to carrying out the executions. However, outside the court, they will only get a chance to seek pardon from the President. If that petition gets dismissed, there would be no legal bar to executing their death sentences, said Attorney General AM Amin Uddin.
Against this backdrop, now the jail authorities will prepare to hang the two death-row convicts after the copy of the apex court’s final order rejecting the review plea reaches the jail authorities.
The Appellate Division bench of six judges, led by Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, issued the order.
Besides, the Appellate Division also rejected the review petition of another convict, who was sentenced to life imprisonment in the case. The two sentenced to life term are-- Nazmul Alam and Abdus Salam, relatives of caretaker Jahangir Alam.
Advocate SM Shahjahan and Barrister Ehsan E Siddique appeared for the convicts in the court, while Attorney General AM Amin Uddin and Deputy Attorney General Bishwajit Debnath represented the state during the review petition hearing.
Bishwajit Debnath said that the defence can now seek presidential pardon. The death sentence will be executed if the convicts don’t get clemency.
Expressing satisfaction over the judgment, Attorney General AM Amin Uddin said the murder of Prof Dr S Taher was one of the gruesome killings of the country's history, adding that this judgment will once again give a message that none will get exempted after committing such crimes.
Family members of Prof Dr S Taher Ahmed expressed satisfaction over the apex court’s final order. “After 17 years of struggle, we got justice. We will be fully happy when the same will be executed,” said Prof Taher’s wife Sultana Ahmed.
Prof S Taher’s daughter and Supreme Court lawyer Shagufta Tabassum Ahmed expressed satisfaction over the judgment, saying that her family had to fight 17 long years for justice. She demanded quick execution of the judgment.
Dr S Taher Ahmed, a professor of RU’s Geology and Mining department, was found dead in a drain near his residence on the campus, two days after he went missing on February 1 in 2006.
On February 3, a murder case was filed with Motihar police station in Rajshahi, following a complaint filed by his son Sanzid.
A Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal on May 22 in 2008 sentenced four people to death in the case and acquitted two others, including former RU Chhatra Shibir president Mahbubul Alam Salehi.
Later on May 13 in 2013, the High Court upheld the death penalty of Dr Mia Mohammad Mohiuddin and Jahangir Alam, but sentenced Salam and Nazmul to imprisonment until death. After the order, Mohiuddin, Jahangir and Salam moved the apex court.
On February 22 in 2022, the apex court started hearing on the appeals filed by the convicts challenging the HC verdict against them. The Appellate Division on April 5 in 2022 upheld the High Court verdict.
The Appellate Division on September 14 in 2022 published the 68-page verdict. Later, the convicts filed the petition, seeking review of the apex court’s judgment to save their necks.
On February 23, the Appellate Division set March 2 for pronouncing judgment on pleas to review its earlier verdict in the case.
In the observation of the verdict, the Appellate Division said that convict Dr Mia Mohammad Mohiuddin feared that he would not be able to become a professor if Dr Taher remained alive, and killed him out of professional jealousy.
Dr Taher was a full professor in the Geology and Mining department while convict Dr Mohiuddin is an associate professor.