By Gani Adam
BDNEWS Writer
Dhaka, Aug 23 (BDNEWS) – Senior Vice chairman of ruling 4-party alliance and Jamiyate Ulamaye Islam head Maolana Mohiuddin Khan Tuesday hinted of a possible link between Moalana Farid Uddin Masud and Sheikh Abdur Rahman, the alleged mastermind behind the August 17 blasts across the country.
Maolana Farid Uddin, a former director of Islamic Foundation, was arrested from the Zia International airport Monday while leaving the country for UK.
"So far my knowledge goes, Masud has a link with Sheikh Abdur Rahman," Mohiuddin, also a leader of a faction of Islami Oikkya Jote, said in an exclusive interview with BDNEWS.
He described Masud as an agent of Awami League and pointed his finger to Shudha Sadan for instigating an insurgency in the country with the financial assistance from Indian intelligence agency, RAW.
He also said that Mufty Shahidul Islam, MP, a lawmaker from a faction of the alliance component Islami Oikkya Jote (IOJ), has a deep connection with Masud.
An IOJ source told BDNEWS that Maolana Masud got huge foreign grants for his voluntary organisation, Islahatul Muslimin, mainly from South Africa and Europe.
"Mufty Shahid knows his fund sources well, perhaps the cheque numbers too," said the source.
When contacted, Mufty Shahid denied the allegation but admitted that he knows Masud for long.
Referring to some newspaper reports, Maolana Mohiuddin Khan, however, denied Masud as his party fellow.
"Following a dispute inside our party over Shunamganj-3 bypoll, a small faction left the party," Khan said adding, "Masud borne the cost of the rebel group conference in Sylhet."
Khan termed Masud's rise as a "blessing of Awami League" and said that as part of AL conspiracy to create division among the Olemas, Masud acted as per the dictation of Shudha Sadan.
He also blamed RAW for the August 17 blasts.
BDNEWS/1946 hrs
