Faisal puts blame on his local aides
British national and founder of Green Crescent Madrasa-cum-orphanage in Bhola Faisal Mostafa pinned the blame of recovered arms, ammunition and explosives on the madrasa's caretaker and his local associates as his 10-day remand started yesterday.
Local investigators started quizzing Faisal and his close associate Mohammad Saifuddin Badal after a judicial magistrate's court placed them on remand. They are being interrogated in connection with the seizure of huge firearms, ammo and explosives from the madrasa in Borhanuddin upazila on March 24.
"Faisal says he seldom visits the madrasa as he stays in the UK most of the year and knows nothing about the firearms," an investigator told The Daily Star.
Faisal claims that Badal, cook of the madrasa Mohiuddin and some other Green Crescent committee members know everything as Mohiuddin stayed there and others often visit the madrasa, the investigator added asking not to be identified.
Asked about Faisal's possible link with militancy, another investigator said he is also denying having such links.
Faisal said he only owns the arrow and bows and the two jackets he used to wear in camouflage during hunting. The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized the jackets, arrows and bows and the illegal firearms from the false ceiling of the madrasa building during the March 24 raid.
"We're now verifying their statements. They will be quizzed intensively when the fact will come out," the investigator said. They can't avoid their responsibilities being the founder and patron of the madrasa, he added.
Police sources say the two will be sent to the Task Force for Interrogation (TFI) cell in the capital for further interrogation.
Cook Mohiuddin and all the committee members went into hiding after Rab busted the madrasa-cum-orphanage and seized the arms cache along with books on Taliban and Moududi.
The arrestees were hauled before the court yesterday with an appeal for 10 days' remand for each.
Faisal who was not initially accused in either of the two cases was finally made an accused in the case filed under the Arms and Explosives Act. Borhanuddin police say he was made an accused as his name surfaced in the recently made confessional statement of another accused Moulana Mohammad Russell.
Earlier in the morning, both Faisal and Badal were brought to Borhanuddin Police Station from the capital after Rab on Monday confirmed that they arrested the two in Pubail in Gazipur the same day.
The police took both the accused in handcuffs to the court around 2:30pm amid tight security. Several hundred people in Bhola turned up to have a glimpse of Faisal and Badal.
On behalf of the investigation officer (IO) Sub-inspector Rafiqul Islam of Borhanuddin police, the court inspector placed the forwarding report before the court.
In the forwarding report SI Rafiqul said they have primarily found involvement of Faisal and Badal in the incident and pointed out the necessity of their interrogation for information about the case and the whereabouts of other accused.
Eight lawyers stood in the court for Faisal and Badal and appealed to the court for their bail.
After hearing both sides, the court granted 10 days remand for each of them.
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