The mercy petition of three of the five ex-Army officers, on death row for the killing of Bangladesh founder Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, have been rejected by president Zill-ur Rahman.
"The president has rejected their mercy petitions," a senior Bangabhaban presidential palace official told PTI.
He said the presidential decision came immediately after the petitions of ex-lieutenant colonels AKM Mohiuddin (lancer), Mohiuddin Ahmed (artillery) and ex-major Bazlul Huda reached the presidential palace through the home ministry, law ministry and the prime minister's office last evening.
Two other convicts, ex-lieutenant colonels Syed Faruq Rahman and Sultan Shahriar Khan, are yet to file the clemency petitions.
Their lawyers said they might consider seeking presidential mercy only after they are exhausted with the last legal process for the review of the supreme court verdict by the apex court itself.
Despite the rejection, the apex court is set to hear the final review petitions of the death row convicts against its earlier verdict that confirmed the death penalty of 12 ex-army officers. Five of the 12 are in jail, while six are on the run, and one has already died abroad.
Chief prosecution counsel Anisul Huq said there was no bar for Faruq and Khan to seek the presidential clemency within seven days after the exhaustion of the review process.
