A total of 30 death convicts have been pardoned by Presidential clemency during the last eight years. Of them, death penalty of seven was reduced to life term.
State Minister for Home Affairs Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal disclosed this while replying to a question in Parliament from Jatiya Party lawmaker Pir Fazlur Rahman on Wednesday.He informed that a total of 33 convicts got Presidential mercy since 2005. Of them, 22 death convicts got Presidential mercy during the previous Awami League government and one each during the BNP-Jamaat government.
Besides, punishments of seven death convicts were reduced by the President as per their mercy petitions. Of them, three death convicts were given life term during the AL government while two during Fakhruddin led caretaker government and punishment of one death convict was reduced to 10 year-term.
Moreover, punishments of three convicts were reduced in different terms.
It is learnt that 20 of the death convicts have got the Presidential mercy on September 6 in 2010 during the previous government.
The state minister said the President in his special power has reduced punishment of the convicts as per their petitions seeking for life and reducing punishment.
The convicts who have got the President’s mercy are—Jhintu alias Mohiuddin, Anisur Rahman, Mohammad Sentu, Mohammad Foysal, MA Firoz, Faruk Shah, Fazlul Huq Shah, A Zahidul, Shahjahan Ali, Mohammad Badal, Jalil alias Shimul Ashraf, Chand Miah, Mohammad Sohag, SM Fakar Uddin, Sajjad Hossain, Mohammad Zohurul, Mohammad Formujul, Abul Hossain, Mohammad Babul, Ataur Rahman, Asad alias Komol, Ahidul alias Rahidul, Mintu Ghosh, Siraj Miah, Abdul Khalek, Taleb Uddin, Abdul Mannan, AHM Biplob, Abdul Jabber Labu, Benzir Ahmed, Islam Uddin, Rakhal Chandra and Siman Singh.
Of them, Jhintu and Benzir got mercy in 2005, Islam Uddin and Rakhal in 2007, and the rest of the 29 convicts got mercy between 2009 and 2012.
Meanwhile, taking floor on point of order, opposition chief whip Tajul Islam Chowdhury demanded cancellation of government proposal to increase the rate of power.
He argued that the discrepancy between rich and poor would increase if the power price is augmented.
Tajul also criticized the proposal that suggested only two per cent increase of power price for rich and 40 per cent for poor in three phases. – Staff Reporter
