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Bangladesh orders execution for death row war criminal Islamist party chief

Xinhua, May 11, 2016 Adjust font size:

Bangladesh has ordered to execute death row war criminal Motiur Rahman Nizami as the Islamist party chief chose not to seek presidential pardon.

"The order for his execution has been given as he had not asked for presidential mercy." Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan told journalists on Tuesday night at about 9:00 pm (local time).

About half an hour before this formal announcement, family members walked into the Dhaka Central Jail to meet him for one last time as authorities completed preparations to hang the war criminal.

Security has been beefed up in and around the DhakaCentral Jail, where 74-year old Nizami, who served as agriculture and industries minister in ex-Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's 2001-2006 cabinet, has been kept.

Apart of tightening security measures, paramilitary troops have been deployed in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka to thwart any untoward incident in the wake of the execution.

Bangladesh's apex court on May 5 rejected Nizami's final legal appeal against the death sentence given to him by a special tribunal in October, 2014.

Nizami is among the top Jamaat leaders who have been tried in two war crimes tribunals which Prime Minister Sheikh Hasian's Bangladesh Awami League-led government formed in 2010 to bring the perpetrators of 1971 to book. Endit