Islamist HuJI Bangladesh leader Mufti Hannan threatens witness in court after testimony

Banned Harkat-ul Jihad-al-Islami, Bangladesh (HuJI) leader Mufti Abdul Hannan has threatened a witness in court hearing a case relating to a grenade attack on a CPB rally.

Court Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 25 June 2015, 07:33 PM
Updated : 25 June 2015, 07:33 PM

“The bomb should have been thrown at you,” Hannan said to Shakhawat Hossain standing in the dock of Dhaka’s Third Additional Sessions Judge’s Court on Thursday.

On Jan 20, 2001, a grenade attack on a Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) rally at Dhaka's Paltan Maidan had killed four people on the spot, while another died in hospital.

Two cases were registered in connection with the incident -- one for the killings and the other for use of explosives.

On Aug 21, the court framed charges against 13 suspects in the murder case.

The witness Hossain himself is a lawyer.

Hossain was present at the rally and CPB activist Himangshu Mandal died in front of him.

On Thursday, Hossain deposed before the court that Hannan was involved in the attack.

Hannan kept threatening even as Hossain left the court at the end of the hearing.

“The bomb should have been thrown at you,” Hannan said, “Do you know me? Get out of the court, I shall see you.”

Shakhawat Hossain told reporters, “Mufti Hannan also tried to grab me through the iron bars of the dock.”

Police stepped in and took the situation under control.

Hannan, also accused in the Aug 21 grenade attack case and the Ramna Batamul attacks of 2004, is alleged to have committed similar offences many times in the past.

He threatened to kill State Prosecutor Md Zahid Sardar in the court in the Ramna Batamul blast case.

The court set July 26 next for recording deposition in the CPB case.

Among the accused, Hannan, Mainuddin Sheikh, Arif Hasan Suman, Maulana Sabbir, Shawkat Osman and Mashiur Rahman are in jail.

Those absconding are Abdul Hai, Shafiqur Rahman, Nur Islam, Jahangir Alam, Mohibullah Muttakin, Anisul Islam Morsalin and Rafiqul Islam Miraj.

The Paltan bombing victims are Himanghshu Mandal, Abdul Majid, Abul Hashem, Mukhtar Hossain and Bipradas Roy.