Huji cadres attacked poet Shamsur in ‘99

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Mufti Abdul Hannan yesterday told interrogators that Huji operatives had attacked late poet Shamsur Rahman with intent to kill him on his orders about eight years ago.

Hasan, a student of Dhaka College, led the attack at the poet’s Shyamali residence, sources in the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) told The Daily Star, quoting Hannan, the detained operations commander of Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji).

Rahman, who died on August 17, 2006, was attacked by a gang of youth on January 18, 1999. After managing their way into the house, the attackers tried to cut his head off with an axe. He was unharmed, but his wife was seriously wounded.

Meanwhile, Huji Dhaka city unit leader Maulana Abu Taher, on remand in a case filed for Ramna Batamul blasts, has admitted to supplying the bombs used in the carnage that left at least 10 people dead and scores injured during Bangla New Year revels on April 14, 2001.

He also told the interrogators that two Dhaka College students–Hasan and Omar Faruq–carried the bombs to Ramna Batamul area and kept those hidden somewhere close to the venue before the security checks were carried out. Later, other Huji activists planted those near the stage erected for cultural shows.

Taher also admitted that the plot was made at a house in the city’s Mohammadpur Town Hall area only a few days before the attack, sources said.

Mufti Hannan in his confessional statement has already said that Taher bore all expenses of staging the August 21 grenade blasts at an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue in 2004.

Meanwhile, the CID could not interrogate Shahadat Ullah Jewel, detained convenor of Narayanganj Swechhashebak Dal, for his poor health condition.

The Rapid Action Battalion arrested him Wednesday for suspected links to the August 21 grenade attack. He was later handed over to the CID that has been tasked with investigating different blast incidents that took place over the last few years.

Officials at the CID said Jewel suffered a heart attack around a year ago and since then he has been seriously ill.

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