CID wants to quiz former OC Rafiq

Criminal Investigation Department yesterday sought permission from a Dhaka court to quiz detained former officer-in-charge of Motijheel Police Station Mohammad Rafiqul Islam at the jail gate in connection with the August 21, 2004 grenade attack cases.
CID's Senior Additional Superintendent of Police Abdul Kahar Akond, also the investigation officer of the grenade attack cases, submitted a petition seeking permission to interrogate OC Rafiqul about the attacks on an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue.
The court will pass order today on the petition.
Suspended OC Rafiqul, also an accused in the killing of college student Kamrul Islam Momin, was sent to jail after he surrendered and sought bail in the case on October 16, 2005.
In the petition, Akond said Rafiqul needs to be quizzed as he was the OC of Motijheel Police Station when the deadly attack took place on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004.
On August 3 last year, a Dhaka court ordered the inspector general of police to reinvestigate the cases and submit reports in two months after identifying the persons who had procured and supplied the grenades used in the attack.
Twenty-three AL leaders and workers were killed and over 300 maimed in the incident.
AL President Sheikh Hasina narrowly escaped the attack.
Following the fresh probe, detained former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, BNP leader Ariful Islam Arif, Islamic Democratic Party leader Moulana Sheikh Abdus Salam and pro-Pakistani militant group Hizbul Mujahideen leader Abdul Majid Butt were earlier shown arrested.
They were also remanded for several times.
Of them, Moulana Salam and Majid Butt had earlier given confessional statements before magistrates on separate dates.
The previous IO had pressed charges against 22 people including BNP leader and former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu and Harkatul Jihad chief Mufti Abdul Hannan.