In his immediate reaction to execution of the top militants, eminent Jurist Dr Kamal Hossain said the rule of law is being finally established in the country, and people are now quite satisfied. Court had awarded death penalty to the militants in accordance with law. All arrests, trial of offenders and court judgements on them would now be as per laws as, he observed.

"The main objective of the country's Liberation War was to establish rule of law so that security of the state as well as people's security and fundamental rights are ensured, and peace prevails in the country. But those could not be achieved due to confrontational politics," the leading constitution expert noted.

The people want a meaningful change in their lives, and rule of law in the country, Dr Kamal said. "The nation should now march forward to establish fair politics and a proper democratic system to make that a reality," he told The Daily Star.

Former law minister and BNP central leader Moudud Ahmed said crushing the religious fundamentalists was one of the major successes of the previous government. And the present caretaker government has done a good job by executing death sentences of the militants, he said when contacted.

Moudud termed execution of the death sentences a fine example in the efforts to establish rule of law.

With their execution, heinous activities of such derailed people would come to an end, he hoped.

When asked, Awami League (AL) presidium member Kazi Zafarullah said execution of the top militants has taken place according to law.

He however said the militants had wanted to talk to the media, and if they were allowed to do so, many important information could be had.

Alleging that the patrons of militants are still active, the AL leader demanded immediate arrest and punishment of those people.

Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Matiur Rahman Nizami said militants had killed people and engaged in criminal activities in the name of Islam, which harmed politics of his party.

"Execution of the top militants is good for the politics of Jamaat. Militants harmed Islam and our politics. I think this has ended at last through execution of the top militants," Nizami told a private TV channel.

Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) Chairman Fazlul Haque Aminee said death penalty of militants is right because they had killed people violating Islamic rules.

He however declined to comment on the militants' plea to talk to the media before their execution.

National Professor Kabir Chowdhury, president of the advisory council of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, termed execution of the top militants 'quite right' as, he noted, their heinous activities were against humanity.

He however said there should not be any provision of death sentence. "The militant fundamentalists wanted to talk to the media. If they were allowed to talk, many things could be known, especially their godfathers could be exposed, " he said when asked for his reaction.

Workers' Party President Rashed Khan Menon said execution of the militants again proves that there was militancy in the country. The previous BNP-Jamaat coalition government was responsible for this as it had for long denied existence of militancy, saying it was a creation of the media, he recalled.

Although the top militants have been hanged, the country is yet to be free from militancy as 'patrons of militants in BNP-Jamaat coalition' are still at large and sources of financial support to the militants are still operating, Menon said. And he demanded immediate arrest and punishment of those elements to end militancy.

Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JSD) President Hasanul Haque Inu said execution of the militants is a major step in establishing rule of law in the country.

He demanded immediate arrest and punishment of those BNP-Jamaat leaders, officials in the administration and police personnel who, he said, patronised militants.

Inu cautioned that militants who are still to be nabbed might go for scattered violence in different areas in the country.