‘From death row convict to imam, cancer specialist’
Rab arrests him after 21 years of being on the run
Sheikh Enamul Haque -- sentenced to death for attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina -- moved to Gazipur from Gopalganj in 2001, changed his name, and had a National ID card made with fake information later on.
He worked as an Imam at a local mosque in Shalna for eight years. By this time, he also taught at a homoeopathy college in the district.
In 2010, he moved to Dhaka from Gazipur and stayed in Uttara and Banasree. In 2015, he set up a homoeopathy college named "IK Homeo College Uttara" and continued running it till 2020.
Later, he set up a "Cancer Cure Centre" at his home in Uttara and started deceiving patients in the name of providing treatment.
Enamul was right under the nose of law enforcers in Gazipur and Dhaka for the last 21 years.
Finally, he was caught.
A team of Rab-1 arrested him from Uttara area on Saturday, Khandaker Al Moin, Rab's Legal and Media wing director, told a press briefing yesterday.
"Enamul had a general education but identified himself as a Qari, (who recites the Quran following proper rules). He worked as an Imam at several mosques in Gazipur," he said.
Apart from treating cancer patients, he claimed to be able to "cure AIDS". In addition, he claimed to be a successful doctor in treating diseases like hepatitis viruses, paralysis, diabetes, infertility, heart and kidney, the Rab director said.
Replying to a query, Moin said this is an old case and the arrest of the accused of such a case can be delayed due to complexity in scrutinising their information, including name and addresses.
On March 23 last year, a Dhaka tribunal sentenced Enamul and 13 members of the banned militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji) to death and ordered that they be "publicly" executed by the firing squad.
The militants planted bombs on the premises of Sheikh Lutfor Rahman Ideal College and a nearby helipad in Kotalipara where Hasina was supposed to address a rally on July 22, 2000.
A sedition case was filed against them for trying to kill Hasina, by planting the 76kg bomb which was found on July 21. Two days later, another 40kg bomb was recovered from the college premises.
Mentionable, at least three such death row convicts in the case have been arrested by law enforcers recently.