Charges against Harkat-ul-Jihad al Islami (Huji) chief mufti Abdul Hannan and 13 others in connection with the Ramna Batamul blast cases by a Dhaka court today
Charges against all the 14 operatives of the outlawed organisation was framed by Judge ANM Bashir Ullah of the Court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge, rejecting the discharge petition submitted by Hannan and five others.
The other charge-sheeted accused are Arif Hasan Suman alias Abdur Razzak, Moulana Akbar Hossain alias Helaluddin, Shahadat Ullah alias Jewel, Moulana Abu Taher, Moulana Abdur Rauf, Moulana Mohammad Tajuddin, Moulana Abdul Hannan Sabbir, Moulana Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid, Hafez Jahangir Alam Badar, Moulana Abu Bakar alias Selim Hawlader, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Moulana Yahiya and Mufti Abdul Hye.
The bloodbath that took place during the Pahela Baishakh celebrations on April 14, 2001 left 10 people dead and scores injured.
Following the carnage, two cases were filed with Ramna Police Station — one for murder and the other for possession and use of explosive substances.
On December 30 last year, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against Huji chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and 13 others for committing the heinous offence.
CID Inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf, investigation officer (IO) in both the cases, submitted the charge sheets to the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka showing 84 people as prosecution witnesses.
Of them, Hannan, Suman, Jewel, Abu Taher and Rauf are behind bars, while Akbar is out on a High Court bail. On the other hand, former deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu’s brother Moulana Tajuddin and seven others are still at large.
Following the incident, Akbar was arrested for his alleged involvement in the carnage and later gave a confessional statement to a magistrate where he claimed Mufti Hannan was also involved.
But the investigation was incomplete even though it received 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 say the Huji members planned the attack at their headquarters and Saat Gambuz Mosque, both located in Mohammadpur in the capital.
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 say Ramna Batamul, where people pour in to celebrate the Bangla New Year, was chosen as the target because Huji considers Pahela Baishakh revels anti-Islamic.
Moulana Tajuddin supplied the grenades. He also supplied grenades for the August 21 grenade attacks on an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in 2004.