Attempts underway to identify those involved in Aug 21 blast
Shadiul Islam Rana
The intelligence personnel have started trying to identify and unearth the main patrons and persons involved in the August 21 grenade attack on the Awami League rally and why the then BNP-led four-party alliance government had distracted the people’s attention from the deadly incident.
According to the intelligence sources, investigation is now on to identify the main criminals remaining behind the scene. The intelligence agencies are investigating whether there was any neglect of duty or any political interference in the investigation into the grisly grenade attack on AL rally at Bangabandhu Avenue in Dhaka on August 21 in 2004 that left 24 people killed and many others maimed and injured.
Talking to The Bangladesh Today, Phani Bhoushon Chowdhury of the CID said, “We are not clear why the investigation officers did not interrogate the chief of Harkatul Zihad Mufti Hannan. We have seriously taken up the case and if anyone is found guilty, departmental action would be taken against him.”
Asked whether there was any political interference of the investigation officers during the erstwhile BNP Jamaat regime, the CID official said “The investigation still continues, so I cannot say exactly what happened.”
Referring to the confessional statement of Mufti Hannan, Phani Bhushan said, “As per his statement, we sought help from the Interpol to arrest the brother of former BNP state minister Abdus Salam Pintu, Maulana Tajuddin, who is staying in South Africa, but no reply has come to us yet.”
“In connection with the August 21 case, the deposition of detained Awami League president Sheikh Hasina will be taken by the investigation officer ASP Fazlul Kabir within a day or two,” he added.
According to sources, the detained militant leader Mufti Hannan was not interrogated due to political interference and even the then influential Home Minister gave the assurance of freeing him from the allegation of 21 August grenade attack.
Some influential ministers of the BNP-Jamaat coalition government were also the mastermind of the grenade attack. Hannan had link with Tajuddin, who supplied the 15 arges-84 model grenades for attack on Sheikh Hasina’s rally, confessed Hannan during the interrogation.
An intelligence source, however, said the law enforcers are working with some clues earlier gathered while investigating the grenade attacks on the British High Commissioner Anwar Chowdhury.
Through the interrogation of Hannan, the law enforcers found some evidences that the outlawed Harkatul Jihad was involved in the grisly grenade attack.
Earlier, during the interrogation in the Task Force Intelligence (TFI) cell, the militant leader disclosed the involvement of some influential political leaders, including one home minister.
CID official Fazlul Kabir is now investigating the case. He is the fourth Investigation Officer (IO) in the case but he was not available for his comment.
In connection with the August 21 incident, more than 100 suspects were held and some 20 were shown arrested. Of them 17 are on bail.
In connection with the grenade attack, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Amirul Islam, Md Omar Faruk, Ali Ahmed, Md Abdul Quddus and Haossaion Ahmed alias Tamim on October 26 with grenades. They are being interrogated.
About the case lodged on June 5 against some 28 people, including the BNP chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia and the ameer of Jama’at-e-Islami Motiur Rahman Nizami, by AL activist and victim of the grenade attack Bador Aziz, the CID chief said, “We are very carefully investigating the case.”