Land dispute behind Chittagong court bomb threat: Police

The man who threatened to bomb the Chittagong court building, posing himself as a militant, is a shopkeeper by profession, police say.

Chittagong Bureaubdnews24.com
Published : 20 Oct 2014, 01:56 PM
Updated : 20 Oct 2014, 01:56 PM

Nasir Mohammad, 45, arrested Sunday night in the city's Badurtala, reportedly claimed he had made the threat to get a land-related case's verdict in his favour.

His brother-in-law Salauddin, 22, has been arrested on charges of assisting him.

But police say Mohammad is not associated with banned Islamist outfit Jaamat'ul Mujaheedin Bangladesh (JMB). He made the threat out of mere 'desperation', they say.

Mohammad called lawyer Manos Das on his mobile phone on Oct 14 and threatened to bomb the court building identifying himself as a JMB militant.

Security was tightened in the court area after Das informed police and other lawyers about the threat.

The same day, one Ilias Bhuiyan, 32, was arrested with Tk 5.8 million. He claimed the money was being taken to the land acquisition section at the deputy commissioner's office as bribe.

However, so far both the source and destination of the money have remained a mystery.

At Chittagong Metropolitan Detective Branch office, Mohammad told bdnews24.com that he had a land-related case.

"The verdict was due on Tuesday (Oct 14). That's why I called them and said the JMB would bomb the court."

Asked why he had called lawyer Das, he said Das lived near his house and used to recharge his mobile account from his shop at times.

He said he had called both Das and his lawyer Abu Bakar.

Mohammad claimed he was not affiliated with any political party but 'everyone else' in his family were with the ruling Awami League.

Police say he was also a custodian of Badurtala's Harez Shah Mazar.

DB police's Sub-Inspector Santosh Chakma told bdnews24.com: "We haven't found Nasir’s militancy link. But the verdict (in the land-related case) went in his favour as the other party did not show up on Tuesday (Oct 14)."

He said Mohammad had gone to the court area the following day and filed a BS amendment case. "Complexities over his land are almost over," he added.

Mohammad gave his Badurtala land to a real estate company four years ago. But another person claimed ownership of the land and filed a case.

"The developers demanded a Tk 13 million in damages from him. Nasir claimed he had made the threat out of desperation since the case was not resolved in four years," SI Chakma said.

Meanwhile, police expressed both surprise and anger as Mohammad's lawyer did not inform them about the call.

Chakma said they could not understand why lawyer Abu Bakar did not inform them.

Bakar claimed he was asleep when his client had called him on the phone and later informed the general secretary of the Chittagong District Bar Council.

"A man called on Tuesday morning and said he had just gotten out of jail in Chittagong dialect," Bakar said. "He said he had come to know that the JMB would bomb the court today (Oct 14).

"The caller didn't identify himself as Nasir and I couldn't understand him well. But I informed the bar council general secretary later. By then security had been beefed up in the court area," he said.

SI Chakma said Mohammad's brother-in-law has been arrested over the incident as he dumped the mobile, used to deliver threats, in a drain at Bahaddarhat Bus Terminal.