Bangladesh's deadliest executioner, who hanged some of the country's notorious criminals including serial killers as well as politicians, died on Monday (June 24), a year after he was released from jail.

Shahjahan Bouya was released from prison in June 2023 after which he wrote a book detailing his experiences as a hangman which emerged as a top seller.

The 74-year-old also briefly married a girl who was 50 years younger to him, and in recent weeks became a viral sensation on TikTok after he uploaded short videos with teenage girls.

According to police, he complained of chest pain on Monday morning and was immediately rushed to Dhaka's Suhrawardy Hospital.

Upon reaching the hospital, the doctors declared Bouya dead, said the police station chief in Dhaka.

"He was brought in dead -- &nbsp;doctors haven't ascertained the actual cause of his death," Sajib Dey, a police station chief in Dhaka, told news agency AFP.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/mamata-expresses-strong-reservation-in-letter-to-pm-modi-over-teesta-talks-with-bangladesh-734758">Mamata expresses 'strong reservation' in letter to PM Modi over Teesta talks with Bangladesh</a>

"He had breathing difficulties," Abul Kashem, Bouya's landlord, told AFP. "He rented one of our rooms only 15 days ago. He lived alone".

Bouya was serving a 42-year jail term over a murder.

However, the hangings he did in the prison led to his early release from Dhaka's top jail in 2023.

As per the prison authorities, Bouya held a total of 26 executions, however, he said that he participated in 60.&nbsp;

The ones who died at his hand included military officers who were found guilty of plotting a coup in the year 1975 and killing the country's founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's father.

He launched his book in February, detailing his years as a hangman that immediately garnered people's attention and became a bestseller at Bangladesh's largest annual book fair.

His 96-page book narrated the procedure of hanging by ropes that the country adopted from the British colonial rulers.

(With inputs from agencies)

Bangladesh's deadliest executioner, who hanged some of the country's notorious criminals including serial killers as well as politicians, died on Monday (June 24), a year after he was released from jail.

Bangladesh's deadliest executioner, who hanged some of the country's notorious criminals including serial killers as well as politicians, died on Monday (June 24), a year after he was released from jail. Shahjahan Bouya was released from prison in June 2023 after which he wrote a book detailing his experiences as a hangman which emerged as a top seller. The 74-year-old also briefly married a girl who was 50 years younger to him, and in recent weeks became a viral sensation on TikTok after he uploaded short videos with teenage girls. According to police, he complained of chest pain on Monday morning and was immediately rushed to Dhaka's Suhrawardy Hospital. Upon reaching the hospital, the doctors declared Bouya dead, said the police station chief in Dhaka. "He was brought in dead -- doctors haven't ascertained the actual cause of his death," Sajib Dey, a police station chief in Dhaka, told news agency AFP. Also read: Mamata expresses 'strong reservation' in letter to PM Modi over Teesta talks with Bangladesh "He had breathing difficulties," Abul Kashem, Bouya's landlord, told AFP. "He rented one of our rooms only 15 days ago. He lived alone". Bouya was serving a 42-year jail term over a murder. However, the hangings he did in the prison led to his early release from Dhaka's top jail in 2023. As per the prison authorities, Bouya held a total of 26 executions, however, he said that he participated in 60. The ones who died at his hand included military officers who were found guilty of plotting a coup in the year 1975 and killing the country's founding leader, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, current Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's father. He launched his book in February, detailing his years as a hangman that immediately garnered people's attention and became a bestseller at Bangladesh's largest annual book fair. His 96-page book narrated the procedure of hanging by ropes that the country adopted from the British colonial rulers. (With inputs from agencies)

Bangladesh's deadliest executioner, who hanged most notorious serial killers, dies

A hangman in Pakistan who has executed some 300 convicts doesn't regret continuing with his family's profession that dates back generations in a country counted among top global executioners.

Sabir Masih's father, grandfather and great-grandfather have all been executioners, and he considers hanging convicts to death a routine for the family.

"It's a routine for me. I don't regret if I have hanged many people. I just obey the orders," the tall 34-year-old with pronounced features told EFE calmly.

He was 22 when he carried out his first execution in July 2006 of a man convicted for a murder during a bank robbery. He had to carry out the job because his father was occupied with another hanging in a different city.

"He (the convict) was reciting some Quranic verses. The superintendent signalled I pulled the lever and the convict was hanging. I was not afraid because I had seen one hanging before," Masih recalled, with a stammer.

He executed over 100 convicts in the next eight months, and the figure kept increasing until the government imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in 2008. But during the years of moratorium, Masih continued to receive his salary as a government employee of prisons in the Punjab province.

After Taliban insurgents attacked a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Dec. 16, 2014, and killed 125 students, then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif lifted the moratorium for cases of terrorism. Three months later the moratorium on death penalties was lifted for all offences.

With three days Masih was back at the job. He hanged two prisoners for the first time in years. Since then, he has executed around 100 more. Some 506 people have been executed in Pakistan since the moratorium was lifted, making it one of the countries with the highest rates of capital punishment, behind Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq.

Masih's latest execution was of Imran Ali, a man convicted of raping and killing a seven-year-old, in a case which led to violent protests in the country, demanding security for women and speedy punishment for the accused. Ali was hanged in October last year.

"He (Ali) remained silent. The jail superintendent asked him to seek forgiveness from Zainab's (the victim) father but he remained silent," Masih said.

Human rights groups like Amnesty International allege that Pakistan violates rights and international norms in its application of the death penalty. Local nonprofits have also criticized police and the judicial system as inefficient, which leads to unjust sentences. None of this affects Masih though. He said the death penalty helps in reducing crime.

"I like my profession as it is the profession of my family. I am happy with what I am doing and I don't feel any discomfort," he said.

His family has carried out this work for six generations and the grandfather of his father was an executioner during the British rule. His uncle Tara Masih was tasked with executing former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977 after he was ousted in a coup and sentenced to death.

The inefficiency of the Pakistani judicial system was evident in 2016 when the Supreme Court acquitted two brothers Ghulam Qadir and Ghulam Sarwar of murder charges, only to find out that they had been executed months earlier.

Masih, who carried out the executions, has no regrets.

"If an innocent is hanged it's not my fault, it is the fault of the judge who ordered the execution," he said. 
Masih gesticulates enthusiastically while explaining how he carries out the execution, displaying how he ties the rope around the convict's neck, covers their head, ties the hands and feet and tells the prisoner to not stick out their tongue as it could be cut during the execution.

He said convicts are hanged for half an hour to ensure that they are dead. This is because some of them die within minutes while others take longer and asphyxiate slowly. Masih said he has seen all kinds of behaviour from the convicts, ranging from those who cry, some who pray and some who stay silent. Some convicts even appear to be proud.

"People from terrorist and extremist organizations chant slogans like Allah hu Akbar (Allah is the greatest) and say they have won, it's the triumph not defeat," he said.

A hangman in Pakistan who has executed some 300 convicts doesn't regret continuing with his family's profession that dates back generations in a country counted among top global executioners.

A hangman in Pakistan who has executed some 300 convicts doesn't regret continuing with his family's profession that dates back generations in a country counted among top global executioners. Sabir Masih's father, grandfather and great-grandfather have all been executioners, and he considers hanging convicts to death a routine for the family. "It's a routine for me. I don't regret if I have hanged many people. I just obey the orders," the tall 34-year-old with pronounced features told EFE calmly. He was 22 when he carried out his first execution in July 2006 of a man convicted for a murder during a bank robbery. He had to carry out the job because his father was occupied with another hanging in a different city. "He (the convict) was reciting some Quranic verses. The superintendent signalled I pulled the lever and the convict was hanging. I was not afraid because I had seen one hanging before," Masih recalled, with a stammer. He executed over 100 convicts in the next eight months, and the figure kept increasing until the government imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in 2008. But during the years of moratorium, Masih continued to receive his salary as a government employee of prisons in the Punjab province. After Taliban insurgents attacked a school in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Dec. 16, 2014, and killed 125 students, then-prime minister Nawaz Sharif lifted the moratorium for cases of terrorism. Three months later the moratorium on death penalties was lifted for all offences. With three days Masih was back at the job. He hanged two prisoners for the first time in years. Since then, he has executed around 100 more. Some 506 people have been executed in Pakistan since the moratorium was lifted, making it one of the countries with the highest rates of capital punishment, behind Saudi Arabia, Iran and Iraq. Masih's latest execution was of Imran Ali, a man convicted of raping and killing a seven-year-old, in a case which led to violent protests in the country, demanding security for women and speedy punishment for the accused. Ali was hanged in October last year. "He (Ali) remained silent. The jail superintendent asked him to seek forgiveness from Zainab's (the victim) father but he remained silent," Masih said. Human rights groups like Amnesty International allege that Pakistan violates rights and international norms in its application of the death penalty. Local nonprofits have also criticized police and the judicial system as inefficient, which leads to unjust sentences. None of this affects Masih though. He said the death penalty helps in reducing crime. "I like my profession as it is the profession of my family. I am happy with what I am doing and I don't feel any discomfort," he said. His family has carried out this work for six generations and the grandfather of his father was an executioner during the British rule. His uncle Tara Masih was tasked with executing former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1977 after he was ousted in a coup and sentenced to death. The inefficiency of the Pakistani judicial system was evident in 2016 when the Supreme Court acquitted two brothers Ghulam Qadir and Ghulam Sarwar of murder charges, only to find out that they had been executed months earlier. Masih, who carried out the executions, has no regrets. "If an innocent is hanged it's not my fault, it is the fault of the judge who ordered the execution," he said. Masih gesticulates enthusiastically while explaining how he carries out the execution, displaying how he ties the rope around the convict's neck, covers their head, ties the hands and feet and tells the prisoner to not stick out their tongue as it could be cut during the execution. He said convicts are hanged for half an hour to ensure that they are dead. This is because some of them die within minutes while others take longer and asphyxiate slowly. Masih said he has seen all kinds of behaviour from the convicts, ranging from those who cry, some who pray and some who stay silent. Some convicts even appear to be proud. "People from terrorist and extremist organizations chant slogans like Allah hu Akbar (Allah is the greatest) and say they have won, it's the triumph not defeat," he said.

Pakistan's hangman says no regrets after 300 executions

At least 50 people want to become Zimbabwe&#39;s hangman, a job that fell vacant over a decade ago, officials said Tuesday, stressing that applicants were &quot;very interested&quot; in the role.

The country, which has an unemployment rate of more than 90 percent by some measures, last executed a prisoner in 2005, after which the serving hangman retired.

&quot;The response has been overwhelming and the applications have been from both men and women,&quot; justice ministry secretary Virginia Mabhiza told the NewsDay newspaper.

&quot;We have received over 50 applications in the past few months. People are very interested.&quot;

After a long search, a new hangman was reported to have been appointed in 2012 but the chosen candidate was never confirmed.

Rights groups including Amnesty International have often called on Zimbabwe, which has 92 inmates on death row, to abolish capital punishment.

Zimbabwe&#39;s new 2013 constitution exempts women from the hangman&#39;s noose.

&quot;All men between 18 and 69 years (who) have been convicted of murder in aggravated circumstances can receive capital punishment,&quot; Mabhiza was quoted as saying.

She did not say when the hangman would be appointed or if Zimbabwe intended to revive executions soon.

Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was justice minister until a recent cabinet reshuffle, is a strong opponent of the death penalty.

Justice ministry secretary Virginia Mabhiza told that over 50 applications were received in the past few months

At least 50 people want to become Zimbabwe's hangman, a job that fell vacant over a decade ago, officials said Tuesday, stressing that applicants were "very interested" in the role. The country, which has an unemployment rate of more than 90 percent by some measures, last executed a prisoner in 2005, after which the serving hangman retired. "The response has been overwhelming and the applications have been from both men and women," justice ministry secretary Virginia Mabhiza told the NewsDay newspaper. "We have received over 50 applications in the past few months. People are very interested." After a long search, a new hangman was reported to have been appointed in 2012 but the chosen candidate was never confirmed. Rights groups including Amnesty International have often called on Zimbabwe, which has 92 inmates on death row, to abolish capital punishment. Zimbabwe's new 2013 constitution exempts women from the hangman's noose. "All men between 18 and 69 years (who) have been convicted of murder in aggravated circumstances can receive capital punishment," Mabhiza was quoted as saying. She did not say when the hangman would be appointed or if Zimbabwe intended to revive executions soon. Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa, who was justice minister until a recent cabinet reshuffle, is a strong opponent of the death penalty.

Wanted: Hangman in Zimbabwe, over 50 apply for post

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