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| Bangladesh | |
| Mufti Hannan, 13 other Huji men indicted for Ramna blasts | |
| 2009-04-17 | |
| [Bangla Daily Star] Eight years into the Ramna Batamul blast, a Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against 14 operatives of outlawed Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji) including its chief Mufti Abdul Hannan in two cases filed in connection with the incident. Metropolitan Sessions Judge ANM Bashir Ullah rejected the discharge petitions submitted by the counsels for Hannan and five others and framed charges against all 14 accused. Ten people were killed and scores injured in the blast at Ramna Batamul during Pahela Baishakh celebrations on April 14, 2001. Following the carnage, two cases -- one for murder and the other for possession and use of explosive substances -- were filed with the Ramna Police Station.
Moulana Tajuddin, younger brother of former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu, and seven other accused have been absconding since filing of the cases. Charges were framed against them in absentia. The court fixed April 28, 29 and 30 for trial of the case filed under the Explosive Substances Act and set May 3, 4 and 5 for trial of the murder case. It also summoned complainants in the cases to appear before it on the scheduled dates. Both the prosecution and the defence had earlier completed hearing on charge framing. The prosecution argued that the charges brought against the accused were primarily proved and they be charged with carrying out the bomb attack. But the defence prayed for clearing their clients of the charges saying the charges brought against them were false, fabricated and baseless. On December 30 last year, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against Huji chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and 13 others for committing the offence. CID Inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf, investigation officer (IO) in both the cases, submitted the charge sheets to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court showing 84 people as prosecution witnesses. Following the incident, Akbar was arrested for his alleged involvement in the blast. He gave a confessional statement to a magistrate disclosing Mufti Hannan's involvement in the incident. The investigation remained incomplete although it got a boost after the caretaker government came to power. During investigation, three others including Hannan and Jewel gave confessional statements to magistrates on different dates. The charge sheets said the Huji members orchestrated the attack at their headquarters and the Saat Gambuj Mosque, both located in the capital's Mohammadpur. Suman, Jewel, Johnny and Sujan carried the bombs to Ramna Park that day. Posing as decorators, they entered the park through the gate adjacent to the National Tennis Complex at around 4:00am. Johnny detonated the bombs by remote control. The charge sheets also said Ramna Batamul, where thousands of people gather to celebrate the Bangla New Year, was chosen as the target because Huji considers Pahela Baishakh celebrations anti-Islamic. Moulana Tajuddin supplied the bombs. He also supplied grenades for carrying out the attack on an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004. | |
| Posted by:Fred |