Spreading extremism: Mufti Amir Hamza gives confessional statement

Mufti Amir Hamza, a well-known speaker on Islam, confessed to a magistrate today that he was involved with misinterpreting religion and spreading extremism through waz mahfils.

Metropolitan Magistrate Morshed Al Mamun Bhuiyan recorded his confessional statement after Investigation Officer Kazi Mizanur Rahman, an inspector of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, produced Amir Hamza at his chamber.

He was produced before the magistrate on completion of his five-day remand in the case filed under Anti-Terrorism Act.

After recording his statement, the magistrate sent him to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.

In his statement, Amir Hamza said he delivered provocative speeches in the name of waz which are available on YouTube and Facebook.

Md Al Sakib, an operative of banned militant group Ansar-al-Islam, was inspired by Hamza's provocative speeches on social media platforms, and planned an attack on Jatiya Sangsad on the night of May 5 as per direction of his spiritual leader Ali Hasan Osama.

"But I did not directly order to attack Jatiya Sangsad," Amir Hamza said in his statement, according to court sources.

Two more accused have already given confessional statements before magistrates and said they had planned an attack on Jatiya Sangsad being inspired by his (Amir Hamza) provocative speeches.

According to the case statement, Sakib, in a primary interrogation, admitted that he was inspired towards extremism, watching videos of several Islamic speakers including Amir Hamza, Ali Hasan Osama, Mahmudul Hasan Gunbi and Harun Izhar.

CTTC officials claimed Amir Hamza has been disseminating misleading information in the name of Islam at waz mahfils. Many of his speeches are available on YouTube that provoke extremism, pushing youths towards terrorism, they claimed.

Amir Hamza was arrested from his house at Dabirabhita village in Kushtia on May 24.