Writ seeking stay on execution of Prof Taher's killers scrapped

The High Court (HC) on Sunday dismissed a writ petition pleading for staying the execution of two convicted killers of Rajshahi University Prof Dr S Taher Ahmed.

An HC bench comprising Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Md Bashir Ullah passed the order after holding a hearing on the petition.

The two convicts are former associate professor of Rajshahi University Dr Mia Mohammad Mohiuddin and former caretaker of Dr Taher's house Jahangir Alam.

Advocate Tajul Islam moved the plea before the court, while Deputy Attorney General Nowroj Md Russel Chowdhury and Assistant Attorney General AMG Sarwar Payel argued for the state.

Advocate Nahid Sultana Juthi, Advocate Shakila Rowshan and Dr Taher's daughter Advocate Shagufta Tabassum Ahmed were present in the courtroom during the hearing.

The Appellate Division on March 2, 2023, dismissed a petition seeking review of the apex court order that upheld death sentence of Dr Mia Mohammad Mohiuddin and Jahangir Alam.

"After the apex court judgement, the two death row convicts' only option to save their necks is to file mercy petition to the President. If that petition gets dismissed, there would be no legal bar to execute their death sentences," Attorney General AM Amin Uddin said on that day.

The apex court on September 14, 2022, published the 68-page verdict upholding the death sentence of two convicts, Rajshahi University former teacher Dr Miah Mohammad Mohiuddin and then caretaker at Prof S Taher's residence Jahangir Alam. The apex court also upheld sentence of life imprisonment of Abdus Salam and Nazmul Alam.

Dr S Taher Ahmed, professor of Rajshahi University Department of Geology and Mining, was killed on February 1, 2006 and police recovered his body from a septic tank behind his residence on the university campus on February 3 the same year. His son Sanjid Alvi Ahmed filed the case with Motihar Police Station on the same day.

Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal on May 22, 2008, sentenced four accused to death and acquitted two others of the charges.

The High Court after holding hearing on the death reference and appeals of the convicts, pronounced its judgment on April 21, 2013. It confirmed the death sentence of the then RU teacher Dr Mia Mohammad Mohiuddin and Jahangir Alam for their involvement in the gruesome murder. The court, however, commuted the death sentences of Jahangir's brother Md Abdus Salam and brother-in-law Md Nazmul. 

On February 22, 2022, the apex court started hearing the appeals filed by the convicts challenging the HC verdict against them. The Appellate Division on April 5, 2022, upheld the High Court verdict.

After that, the three convicts - Mohiuddin, Jahangir and Salam - filed the plea, seeking review of the apex court's judgment.

Source: BSS