Hanging Hangover, Justice and vengeance

I went out of my way in my attempt not to watch Saddam Hossain being hanged. I failed. We live in a world, where you have no way but watching Saddam Hossain in Hangman’s noose. I do not like watching taking a life. This disliking started with the shocking NY Times first page picture of Col. Nazibullah, the ex Afhgan ruler being hanged in a lamp-post by the Taliban.

And then, just these days, the media forced me to watch the faces of five of six the hanged militants.

Bangla vai’s body was not shown. It was reported that that was done at Bangla vai’s request. . But I don’t believe that authorities will not let a vital accused like Bangla Vai not photographed and publicized.
An interesting news came out in Ajker Kagoj newspaper on the day after hanging. According to Ajker Kagoj, one of the six hanged militants, Bangla Vai got decapitated.
I do not recall seeing any denial of this story.

This not so rare complication of hanging has just been well publicized at the similar decapitation of Saddam Hossain’s half brother.

Before I go ito whether Bangla ai had the same fate or not let me first talk some scientific stuff about hanging

There are 4 main forms of hanging.
• Short or no drop hanging where the prisoner drops just a few inches, and their suspended body weight and physical struggling causes the noose to tighten, normally resulting in death by strangulation or carotid or Vagal reflex.
• Suspension hanging where the executee is lifted into the air using a crane or other mechanism.
• Standard drop hanging where the prisoner drops a predetermined amount, typically 4-6 feet, which may or may not break their neck. This is the method adopted in Bangladesh I believe.
• Finally, measured or long drop hanging as practised in Britain from 1874, now used in USA and other western countries, where the distance the person falls when the trapdoors open is calculated according to the weight, height and physique of the person and is designed to break the neck. This method was adopted in British Colonies and by some other countries who wished to make executions more humane.



Drop tables.
The weight of the prisoner is the weight recorded when they were weighed, clothed, the day before execution. The drop depth is dependent on the weight.
1892 table 1913 table
Weight of prisoner Drop in feet & inches Weight of prisoner Drop in feet & inches







So, if the drop (Rope) length is more than the calculated length for the weight, there are chances of decapitation. Bangla Vai (If the Ajker Kagoj report is true), being a heavy set man, apparently did require much shorter drop length. Failure to that adjustment probably caused the decapitation.

Similarly when the frail young women and men commit suicide in Bangladesh most of them require a longer rope to cause instant death to break the neck bone causing an instant death. Their ignorance about the above mentioned table causes them to endure a prolonged painful death by asphyxiation.

And let me finish this note with the urge again to stop death penalty. We have no right to take away something which we will never be able to give back. Every human has tremendous potential and every single person may repent one day and contribute a lot positively to the society.

We must not mix the word justice and vengeance. And we must not use the word justice to fulfill our lust for vengeance. Forgiveness is definitely a better way than vengeance.