By IANS
Dhaka : An arrested commander of the Bangladesh based Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI), a banned militant outfit, has admitted to his role in the grenade attack on former prime minister Sheikh Hasina in 2004, that killed 27 and maimed at least 100.
A tailor-turned-terrorist, Abdul Kalam Azad alias Bulbul trained 65 young activists between 1999 and 2005, most of whom, he told the police, were at large because of police laxity.
However, Bulbul subsequently deserted HUJI. “I deserted the militant outfit when I realised that Islam prohibits killing of innocent people,” he told The Daily Star Sunday.
The training was conducted under supervision of HUJI chief Mufti Abdul Hannan.
Police on Oct 28 arrested Bulbul on a tip-off from Hannan, himself caught and being interrogated for the Aug 21, 2004 grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina when she was addressing a rally of her Awami League.
As Hasina was being whisked away, she was fired upon with intent to kill, Hannan and other HUJI leaders have told the police.
The investigations started immediately, but stalled during the regime of Hasina’s rival, Begum Khaleda Zia. They have been resumed this year by the current interim regime.
Both Hasina and Zia are now in jail on corruption charges.
Led by former mujahideen of the Anti-Soviet war in Afghanistan, HUJI emerged in early 1992 with an open declaration of its Islamist agenda.
When its activities intensified and international media and security agencies took note, the Zia government initially denied its existence, but eventually banned it under international pressure.
Also banned is the Jama’at ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), whose top six leaders were convicted and hanged in February this year for the murder of two judges.
Reports, however, continue to appear in Bangladesh media indicating that the terrorists are regrouping and reviving their activities, playing hide-and-seek with the security agencies.