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Download PDF Detained Awami League (AL) President Sheikh Hasina yesterday told a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) team that she believes former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and a few others conceived the grenade attack on her on August 21, 2004.
Sources said Hasina named a number of political leaders, also including former deputy minister Asadul Habib Dulu, but expressed doubts whether the masterminds of the attack will be brought to book and she will get justice.
A three-member CID team led by Special Superintendent of Police Nowsher Ali yesterday recorded Hasina’s statement on the grisly grenade attack on an AL rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in which 24 people were killed and 800 others injured.
Nowsher later told reporters at his office that the former premier, who has been confined to a special sub-jail on the Sangsad Bhaban compound, expressed the doubts “as long time has elapsed since the incident”. “But we assured her of justice,” he added.
Nowsher said Hasina believes that Mufti Hannan carried out the attack. “She asked us to detect others who were with Hannan and those who hatched the attack.”
CID sources said in a couple of days they will also record statements of AL leaders Amir Hossain Amu, Abdur Razzak, Suranjit Sengupta, Sheikh Fazlul Karim Selim, Motia Chowdhury, Zafrullah Chowdhury and Saber Hossain Chowdhury.
Additional SP of CID Abdullah Aref and investigation officer of the case Assistant Superintendent Fazlul Kabir were also on the team that recorded Hasina’s two-page statement from 12noon to 4:00pm.
This is the first time since the August 21 grenade attack that the AL chief gave her statement to a law enforcement agency.
Nowsher said Hasina gave her statement enthusiastically and told them what she knows about the August 21 incident as its prime victim.
“She described the successive incidents of the attack and what she witnessed after it,” Nowsher said, adding that she said splinters could not hit her as other party leaders covered her.
Hasina also said she heard gunshots during the grenade attacks, but Nowsher said the law enforcers could have fired those.
Replying to a question, Nowsher said they have not detected any sign that the previous investigation officers destroyed the evidence of the incident.
Present investigation officer of the case Fazlul Kabir said they have so far recorded statements of 12 witnesses.
Asked if they have examined the damaged SUV of Hasina, he said experts are examining it.
The investigation into the grenade attack made little progress during the tenure of the BNP-led four-party alliance government. It, however, took a new turn after the CID arrested Harkatul Jihad Al Islami operations commander Mufti Abdul Hannan in connection with the case.
Later, Hannan, his brother Mohibullah alias Mojibur Rahman and four of their accomplices confessed to orchestrating the attack to kill Sheikh Hasina.
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