Babar blames ex-CID men for Joj Miah story

Former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar blamed ex-CID investigators for cooking up the story of Joj Miah, sources said.
On the second day of his remand, Babar claimed that former CID officials, assigned to investigate the August 21 blasts case, fabricated the story, which he believed, but it was too late when he came to know that the militants were involved in the blasts and he had nothing to do then.
Senior officials including CID's Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Abdul Kahar Akand, also the investigation officer of the August 21 blasts case, quizzed him throughout the day yesterday.
The interrogators were trying to glean information from him about the sources of the grenades used in the August 21 blasts that left 23 people killed and scores injured at the Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in 2004.
CID sources said Babar might be taken to Taskforce for Interrogation (TFI) cell for more information about the sources of the grenades and how those were smuggled.
However, the officials, assigned to probe the blast afresh, declined to talk about the interrogation result for the sake of investigation.
Babar was shown arrested in the grenade attack case on October 26. Of the 22 charge-sheeted accused in the case 21 belong to the banned Islamist outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami while Abdus Salam Pintu is a former BNP state minister.
CID sources said they summoned three retired official, ex-investigators of the August 21 blasts case, to appear at the CID office for making Joj Miah a scapegoat in the case.