Dhaka: Magistrates visit the death-row convict Jamaat-e-Islami leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman at Dhaka Central Jail to know whether he will seek presidential mercy.

Two magistrates, Mahbub Jamil, and Tanvir Azim, entered into the jail at about 9:50am on Friday and left the jail at about 11:40am.

The magistrates did not disclose anything about the meeting to the media.

The prison authorities said jail super and the magistrate visited Muhammad Kamaruzzaman to know about his decision on the presidential clemency.

Earlier, on 8 April, Dhaka Central Jail authorities received the copy of the Supreme Court verdict rejecting the review plea sought by Kamaruzzaman.

Later, the jail authorities read it out to Kamaruzzaman at the condemned cell.

The jail authorities gave the Jamaat leader permission to talk to his lawyers over seeking mercy petition.

Shishir Monir, one of Kamaruzzaman’s lawyers after meeting him on 9 April said Kamaruzzaman will inform his decision to the authorities later.

On 5 April, the Supreme Court upheld the death penalty awarded to Muhammad Kamaruzzaman after rejecting the review petition filed by his counsels.

The Appellate Division Bench fixed 5 April for the review hearing after Kamaruzzaman’s counsels sought an adjournment of the hearing on his review petitions for four weeks, on 1 April.

Kamaruzzaman filed the petition on 5 March seeking to review the death penalty.

On 9 May 2013, the International Crimes Tribunal 2 condemned Jamaat-e-Islami assistant secretary general M Kamaruzzaman to death for his crimes against humanity, including murder, abduction, torture, rape and mass killing during the War of Independence.

On 3 November 2014, the Appellate Division upheld the tribunal’s death sentence by a short order and released its full text of the judgment on 18 February and according to the prescribed rules the review petition was filed. As a result, the execution of Kamaruzzman’s death sentence issued by the trial court remains inoperative.