The top executioner in Bangladesh Md Shahjahan Bhuiyan is prepared to carry out his 46th execution as he set to hang one of the war crimes convicts — Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury and Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujaheed.

Shahjahan Bhuiyan, well-known as ‘Jallad Shahjahan’, has already completed his trial and is now mentally prepared to hang either Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury or Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mujaheed.

The jail authorities said Shahjahan, along with another executioner Razu, has already practiced pulling the lever on the noose to carry out the death sentences of the Bangladesh opposition leaders properly.  

Two key Bangladesh opposition leaders are set to be hanged within days after losing final appeals to overturn their death sentences, the justice minister said on Friday, as authorities completed formalities for their execution.

Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed the appeals of Mujaheed and Salahuddin, upholding the death sentence for crimes including genocide committed during the 1971 independence war with Pakistan. The highest court’s orders were read out to the convicts in their cells on Thursday night.

Mujaheed, 67, is the second most senior member of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, while Salahuddin, 66, is an ex-lawmaker and a top leader of the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Lawyers said the pair were unlikely to seek mercy because it would require them to admit their war-time guilt.

Shahjahan hanged 45 men and Salahuddin or Mujaheed’s execution would be his 46th, according to media reports.

He recently carried out the execution of another war criminal Jamaat leader Abdul Quader Mollah on 12 December 2013 and Razu executed Kamaruzzaman on 12 April 2014.

Shahjahan hanged the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman’s five killers — Bazlul Huda, Artillery Muhiuddin, Syed Faruk Rahman, Sultan Shahriar Rashid Khan and Lancer Mohiddun Ahmed in 2010.

The top executioner in Bangladesh also hanged militant leaders Siddiqul Islam Bangla Bhai, Ataur Rahman Sani, Abdul Awal, Khaled Saifulla and Iftekher Mamun in 2007.

His other executions include Hasan (convict in Daizy murder case) in 1997, notorious terrorist Ershad Shikder on 10 May 2004 and ASI Monul Huq, Abdus Sattar and Amirta Lal Barman (convicts in Yesmin murder case) in 2004.

After passing HSC examination in 1974, Shahjahan joined Communist Party and became president of Narsingdi district unit of the party in 1977. During that time, he entered the crime-world after being depressed centering a punishment in a woman-related case at his village.

He also joined Bangladesh Army but lost his job for an absence of about 11 months at his work place.

Shahjahan was captured by the police in 1979 after he took part in an operation.  At least 36 cases were filed against him. In one case, he was awarded 143 years’ jail in 1988, but the higher court reduced it to 43 years in 1995.  In another case, he was awarded life term (30 years) imprisonment, according to different Bangladeshi media reports.

Shahjahan will be released in 2035 when he will be 85 years. According to Bangladesh jail code rule, 64 days’ jail term is waived if a convict prisoner implements one execution. Shahjahan is trying to reduce his jail term through implementing executions.