Officials in the Bangabhaban on Saturday turned down to accept a retrial petition of the family member of death row convict and BNP leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, asking them to submit it to the law ministry.
Salauddin’s son Hummam Quader Chowdhury reached the gate of the president office, Bangabhaban, with the petition seeking retrial of his father at 4:20pm.
Declining to accept the petition, Bangabhaban officials on duty at the gate asked the family members to submit the petition through the law ministry.
On his way back from Bangabhaban, Hummam Quader Chowdhury alleged that the trial that has convicted his father in crimes against humanity and awarded with death penalty was “not fair”.
“The president is the guardian of the constitution of the republic and that is why we have come here with a petition seeking the retrial of my father,” he added.
Hummam said Bangabhaban officials told him that they don’t receive any letter directly.
“They have asked us to submit it to the law ministry and I will do so,” he added.
When his attention was drawn to the claim of the law minister that his father sought presidential clemency, Hummam said, “I don’t believe that my father has sought the clemency. I will believe it only when I will hear it from my father.”
He continued saying, “Those who know Salauddin Quader Chowdhury know it better that he is not such a personality who will seek clemency admitting his guilt out of the fear of his execution.”