A legal notice has been issued to four senior officials, requesting a comprehensive list of individuals whose sentences have been pardoned by the President over the last 34 years.
The notice, sent by Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Md Omar Faruk on Sunday (25 August) has been addressed to the Home Secretary, Law Secretary, Cabinet Secretary, and the Secretary to the President's Office.
The notice raises concerns over the President's exercise of clemency powers, particularly regarding the pardoning or remission of sentences for criminals, including those convicted of murder.
It points out that many individuals who were granted presidential pardons have since been released from prison and have re-established themselves in society as mafia dons, instilling fear among the public.
The notice argues that as citizens, it is the right of the people to know how the President of Bangladesh exercises the powers to pardon or commute sentences, including the processes involved, the recommendations or lobbying that may influence such decisions, and the criteria used to grant clemency to notorious and convicted criminals.
Moreover, the notice requests information on the source of the president's power to remit sentences, the legal framework governing these actions, and the standards applied in the decision-making process.
Specifically, it calls for the names of all individuals whose sentences have been commuted or suspended by the president from January 1991 to July 2024, along with a detailed explanation of the procedures followed in granting these pardons.
The notice concludes with a demand that this information be provided within 15 days of receipt.
It warns that if the requested list is not furnished within the specified time, a writ petition will be filed in the High Court.
