After 32 years, hangman Shahjahan Bhuiyan was released from prison on Sunday from Dhaka Central Jail in city’s outskirts in Keraniganj.
During his long prison life, he participated in the execution of a total of 26 convicts who were hanged to death, including the killers of Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, notorious militant leaders and noted war criminals.
The jail authorities pardoned 10 years, five months and 28 days from his prison term for his role as an executioner and demonstration of discipline.
As per the account, Shahjahan served 31 years, six months and two days in jail. After he was released, he shared the last reactions of the convicts whom he executed.
In response to the question whether he was emotional after seeing the accused before the hanging, he said, “Every executions had some kinds of emotion. No matter how guilty the convict person was when he was facing death. Everyone may feel pity on them. But neither the court, nor the law will forgive them. So, though you are emotional, you have to hang the convicts obeying the orders of the law.”
Asked what was the reaction of the notorious terrorist Ershad Shikdar and the top militant leader Bangla Bhai in the final moments before their hanging, he said, “When Ershad Shikdar was hanged, before that he stood up and said, 'I have done no wrong in my life, pray for me.’’
And militant leader Bangla Bha didn't say anything before hanging. However, he said before the hanging that noon should take his picture after his death.” (plz ask the reporter what does ‘NOON’ means. The sentence does not make any sense.)
Asked what Bangabandhu's killers said before their hanging, he said, “Bangabandhu's killers did not say anything before hanging. War criminals also did not speak before hanging.”
Asked what was the reaction of infamous BNP leader Salahuddin Quader Chowdhury before is hanging, Shahjahan Bhuiyan said, “No matter how rowdy a person was, when he knows that he is going to be hanged, he remains complete silent.”
“I also came to know that he behaved disorderly while he was in prison. However, on the day of execution, he did not misbehave with me. He knew that there was no use for him to be rowdy there. He has to leave. So he didn't act rude, he left silently,” Bhuiyan described feelings of S Q Chowdhury before he was about to be hanged.
When asked whether S Q Chowdhury's head was separated from his body, Shahjahan Bhuiyan said, "No, it did not happen. It never happens. No one's head is separated at the time of hanging. These are completely false. Execution is done according to the height and weight of the convict. For this reason, no one's head is separated during execution.”
What did Munir, the accused in the sensational murder case of martyred intellectual Siraj Uddin’s daughter Sharmin Reema, say before his death in the hanging process, Shahjahan Bhuiyan said, “Munir said - ‘give me a cigarette to smoke’.”
According to Subhas Kumar Ghosh, senior jail superintendent of the central prison, Shahjahan Bhuiyan walked out of Dhaka Central Jail at 11:46 am.
According to prison authorities, Shahjahan Bhuiyan was born in Ichhakhali village under Palash upazila of Narsingdi on March 26 in 1950.
He was involved in local politics after his higher secondary certificate (HSC) exams.
Shahjahan Bhuiyan was sentenced to 12 years in jail in a robbery case along with the financial penalty of Tk 5,000 on November 8 in 1992.
In another robbery and murder case, he was given life term imprisonment and fined another amount of Tk 5,000.
In the cases, in total, he was given 42 years of jail term.
He was shifted to Dhaka Central Prison on November 21 in 1995 from Manikganj.
