The Prime Minister
Government of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh
Respected Madame Prime Minister:
I write this letter with a sense of humiliation and hesitation sincerely hoping that this will reach you and find your serious attention.
The tragic event (murder of your family members) that befell you is beyond human comprehension and description. Any law, whether Islamic, Western, Eastern or even a primitive tribal community based one call for justice and punishment proportional to the crime.
We are in favor of law and order and as such all crimes (violence against women, corruption, drug and human trafficking, bribery, nepotism, terrorism, murder, rape, stealing just to name a few) must be pursued vigorously and the criminals must be punished accordingly, free of political influence.
Recently the verdict has been given to the perpetrators of the murder of your father and other members of your family.
In a few days a petition will possibly be sent to the President for the final say on this matter, who will not act against your will, nor should he. So the decision lies on your shoulder. What would you do?
While we appreciate the action taken to bring criminals to justice and punish them promptly and judiciously we also feel that you need to consider the following point of view.
Logic, love and compassion for the family, pressure from your fellow party members, even a sense of justice call for immediate execution of the people who carried out this brutal act against your family members. But I am pleading to you to show mercy and commute their death sentence and keep them behind bar for the rest of their lives.
A member of my immediate family, a decorated war hero, was hanged to death along with many other officers of the patriotic armed forces of Bangladesh. I have the first hand knowledge of utmost suffering it caused the children, parents and siblings and other member of the family.
My request is not politically motivated. I do not know any of the convicted people, never seen them in my life. As a matter of fact I lived on the same street as your parents, in Dhanmondi RA, two houses away. The only time I voted, I voted for your party.
Hangings and executions do not stop crime it only increases the desire for revenge. If hangings and killings would improve law and order then Bangladesh would be a society free of murder.
If you allow these people to be hanged like ordinary criminals then your father would have died at the hand of murderers and criminals. By hanging them you would elevate them to the level of martyrs with the possibility of their becoming national heroes under future changed circumstances.
You may also show clemency to them thus elevating yourself to a level beyond imagination.
Because, I know that you are a believer in the One True God so listen to what He says in His last and Final Revelation to mankind in the Qur'an:
"The recompense for an injury is an injury equal thereto (in degree) but if a person forgives and makes reconciliation, his reward is due from Allah: for Allah loveth not those who do wrong" (Al Qur'an, Surah Al Shura: Ayah 40).
Our beloved Prophet (SWS) has shown personal example of mercy. Upon victory he forgave all his enemies even to the people who murdered his beloved uncle brutally, tortured and oppressed him and his family.
Aziz Huq
December 31, 2009
PS: If a reader agrees with the contents then please forward to others, newspapers and specially to the Prime Minister. If you support the case for the mercy petition then express your support but please do not bring in political considerations. Look at this strictly from humanitarian angle.
Hotmail: Free, trusted and rich email service. Get it now.
__._,_.___