Bangladesh News

Detained Harkatul Jihad (Huji) leader Arif Hasan Sumon yesterday confessed to a court that he along with three other Huji members took four bombs to the Pahela Baishakh celebrations at Ramna Batamul on April 14, 2001 and detonated them remotely.

After his five-day remand in two phases under Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) custody, he gave the confessional statement before Metropolitan Magistrate Waliul Islam between 2:30pm and 5:30pm yesterday.

In the statement, he said he and three other Huji activists–Jewel, Sujan and Jony– carried out the bomb attack at Ramna Batamul. He said three of the four bombs kept in a food containers exploded. The police later recovered the unexploded bomb.

Sujan died in the blast since he failed to move away before the bombs were detonated, CID sources said quoting Sumon’s statement.

A CID source said, “In the two-page statement, Sumon said Jony had pressed the button of the remote.”

Sumon in the statement said Huji leaders Mufti Hannan, Abu Taher, Maulana Tajuddin and Abdur Rouf planned the attack and were present near Ramna Batamul when the bombs were detonated.

Sumon also disclosed that they had visited the spot a day before the attack.

Sumon is also an accused in a case filed in connection with the August 21, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami league rally on Bangabandhu Avenue.

Earlier, detained Huji boss Mufti Hannan in his confessional statement said Sumon carried the bombs to Ramna Batamul.