Hasina's staff tell of Aug 21grenade attack

Three top officials of Awami League (AL) chief Sheikh Hasina's security staff and one of her personal assistants yesterday gave their accounts of the August 21 grenade attack on an AL rally in 2004.
Investigation Officer of the case Fazlul Kabir, assistant superintendent of Criminal Investigation Department (CID), went to Hasina's Sudha Sadan residence at Dhanmondi yesterday evening to record their personal accounts of the carnage that killed 23 people and maimed about 300.
While speaking with the four -- Hasina's Personal Assistant Dr Hasan Mahmud and the three security officials, Maj Gen (retd) Tareq Mahmud Siddiqui, Maj (retd) Shoeb and Squadron Leader (retd) Mamun -- the CID official also asked to provide them the details about the measures they took for Hasina's security on the day of the attack.
On Monday, the CID took Hasina's Mercedes Benz sport utility vehicle (SUV) in their custody to gather forensic evidence of the attack launched against the AL chief on August 21.
Meanwhile, the CID is working on finding any evidence that would prove Harkatul Jihad (Huji) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan's presence at the scene during the grenade assault, said CID officials concerned.
Investigators are also interrogating Moulana Abu Taher, former general secretary of Huji's Dhaka city unit, on suspicion that he had provided funds for the August 21 massacre.
Following his arrest on November 10 from Basila area, Taher was placed on a two-day fresh remand on Monday on completion of a three-day remand.
Meantime, in Sylhet, Huji chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and his brother Mofizur Rahman alias Muhibullah were placed on three days' remand yesterday for interrogation in connection with a grenade attack on an AL meeting at Gulshan centre in Sylhet.
Chief Judicial Magistrate of Sylhet Md Rafiqul Alam granted the remand after CID Inspector Mohammad Zobayer appealed for five days' remand.
On August 7, 2005, an AL leader was killed and 30 others were wounded in the grenade attack that took place minutes after Sylhet city Mayor Badruddin Kamran, also chief of Sylhet city unit of AL, left the meeting venue.
Law enforcers at that time arrested about 60 leaders and activists of AL and its student and youth wings. The arrestees were however released on bail later.