President Zillur Rahman has granted mercy to AHM Biplob, a son of ruling party leader Abu Taher of Laxmipur and a death row inmate in much-talked-about Nurul Islam murder case.
The clemency came into effect from July 14.
Biplob, however, is in Laxmipur District Jail as he received a life sentence in two other murder cases.
The Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal of Chittagong on December 9, 2003 condemned five people including Biplob to death for kidnap and murder of Nurul Islam.
Nine others were sentenced to life and two to five years in jail in the same case.
On September 18, 2000, advocate Nurul Islam, Laxmipur BNP's the then organising secretary, was abducted and then hacked dead.
His body was sliced into pieces and dumped in the river Meghna.
The tribunal in its verdict acquitted 15 of the 31 accused. Abu Taher, the then general secretary of Awami League's Laxmipur district unit, and his wife Nazma Taher were among the acquitted.
However, Biplob surrendered before the tribunal on April 6 this year after absconding for over 10 years.
Abu Taher then appealed to the president for his son's life.
Meanwhile, the district jail superintendent has sent a letter to the inspector general of prisons regarding the clemency and also sent a copy to the tribunal.
Contacted, Public Prosecutor Ayub Khan yesterday told The Daily Star that the Laxmipur jail super had sent them a copy of the letter on Tuesday informing about the presidential order.
In another instance, Zillur Rahman pardoned 20 death row convicts in Jubo Dal leader Gama killing case on September 6 last year.
Sabbir Ahmed Gama was the nephew of former BNP deputy minister Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu and he was gunned down in Natore in 2004.
Source : The Daily Star
