Mufti Hannan among 6 Huji men charge-sheeted
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday filed charge sheet against outlawed Harkat-ul-Jihad (Huji) chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and five other Huji men in the case for much-talked grenade attack in front of Gulshan Centre in Sylhet city four years ago.
Investigation officer Inspector Zubayer Ahmed of CID, Sylhet submitted the charge sheet with the Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court for the incident that claimed the life of an Awami League leader and injured about 40 others.
Sylhet Mayor Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran escaped unhurt it as he had left the scene minutes ago.
As a meeting of the city AL ended and party men were coming out of Gulshan Centre at about 8:00pm of August 7 in 2004, a grenade exploded on the premises of the multi-storied hotel. City AL's publicity secretary Md Ibrahim Ali died in the hospital while 40 others sustained wounds. Several people had to take treatment abroad for months and a few others became crippled. The blast also destroyed two cars on the spot.
The then senior ASP Munshi Atiqur Rahman of CID was made the investigation officer, who managed a so-called confessional statement from Belal Ahmed, a guard of a house adjacent to the hotel. Belal in his statement hinted the grenade was thrown by a bearded man like Ibrahim.
Following the attack, law enforcers arrested expatriate AL leader SM Nunu Miah from the hotel and about 30 others including Jubo League and Chhatra league activists, triggering much commotion among the AL's rank and file. The arrestees were, however, later released on bail.
After Munshi went on retirement in October last year, Inspector Zubayer was made investigation officer, who later claimed major development in the investigation.
He told The Daily Star yesterday that the statement given by Belal is not at all acceptable while expatriate AL leader SM Nunu Miah and several other arrestees had no link with the grenade attack.
“Charges against eight people in connection with the case have been established. We submitted charge sheet against six people while one is dead and the other's whereabouts could not be known,” he said.
Huji leader Mufti Abdul Hannan and his accomplice Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul had already given confessional statement in this regard, sources said.
Mufti in his statement before a Dhaka court and Bipul in his statement in a Sylhet court said the attackers wanted to crush the AL leadership in Sylhet region. The plan of attack was taken at a house at Badda in the capital while Mufti Hannan was the main planner.
The six charge-sheeted accused are Mufti Abdul Hannan, Abu Zandal alias Mufti Main Uddin, Mufti Hannan's brother Muhibullah alias Mofizul Islam alias Ovi, Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul, Delwar Hossain Ripon and Humayun Kabir Himu. The first five people are in jail while Himu had been absconding, the charge sheet said.
Accused Ahsanullah Kajol earlier died. Another accused Fakhrul Islam Fahim has been missing. He would be included in the charge sheet after getting his whereabouts, Inspector Zubayer said.
About 50 party men including city AL Secretary Misbah Uddin Siraj gave their statements before the law enforcers in this connection.
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