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Bangladesh

Mamun confesses to his, Tarique's involvement in Tk 81 lakh extortion

2007-05-06

Detained controversial businessman Giasuddin Al Mamun, a close friend of BNP Senior Joint Secretary General Tarique Rahman, yesterday confessed to a magistrate that Tarique and he were involved in the extortion of Tk 81 lakh from a businessman. He told the magistrate that he along with four others including Tarique, now in detention, had extorted Tk 81 lakh on different dates from Harun Ferdousi, managing director of Judge Distilleries Ltd. The three others are Babul Kazi, Enamul Hoque and Giasuddin Quaiyum, he said. Mamun was placed on a four-day remand yesterday in connection with another case for extorting Tk 4.89 crore from the owner of construction firm 'Aclrcn', a sister concern of Reza Construction and Al-Amin Construction. Under heavy security, he was taken to the chamber of Metropolitan Magistrate Shamsul Alam around 2:30pm. The magistrate recorded his confessional statement for around four hours. Of the Tk 81 lakh, Tarique took Tk 45 lakh, he took Tk 35 lakh and the three others shared Tk 1 lakh, Mamun said. Earlier, he had made confessional statements to another magistrate on different dates in connection with six other extortion cases filed with Gulshan, Kafrul, Shahbagh and Dhanmondi police stations. In the case filed by Abu Shahed Sahel, coordinator of Aclrcl, with Gulshan Police station on Friday, he complained that Mamun had extorted Tk 4.89 crore from him on different dates in cash and cheque in 2004 to 2006. He could not dare to file any case against Mamun at that time fearing reprisal. And he has now lodged the case as the situation has changed, he said in the FIR.

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Bangladesh

Mufti Hannan placed on 5-day remand

2007-05-01

Mufti Abdul Hannan, operations commander of banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad (Huji), was placed on a five-day remand yesterday in connection with a case filed for bomb explosions at Ramna Batamul in 2001. Another Huji leader Abdur Rouf was also remanded for five days in the same case. Metropolitan Magistrate Shamsul Alam passed the order when CID Inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf, who is also the investigation officer (IO), produced them before the court under a tight security. Earlier, Hannan was remanded in the case and he made a confessional statement on November 19 last year. Ten people died and several others were injured on April 14, 2001 when bombs went off at Ramna Batamul during the Bengali New year's celebration. On June 14, 2001, Maulana Akbar Hussain, one of the arrestees, made a confessional statement to a metropolitan magistrate disclosing involvements of Mufti Hannan and others with the blasts.

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Bangladesh

Bangla: Free militants or get killed

2006-03-31

The outlawed Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) yesterday threatened to kill a district court judge in Dinajpur with his family and blow up the court if he failed to release JMB activists arrested in the last two days. The threat was given in a letter sent to Additional District Judge Md Zahedur Rahman, reports received in Dhaka said. In Mymensingh, a court yesterday placed JMB operations commander Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai on a 10-day fresh remand while a Dhaka court remanded two Majlish-e-Shura members Abdul Awal Sunny, also military commander of JMB, and Abdul Awal for another seven days. The law enforcers in Rangpur have arrested a Jamaat-e-Islami activist on charge of his involvement with the banned Islamist militant outfit JMB. MYMENSINGH Bangla Bhai was produced before the cognisance court of Magistrate Atiqur Rahman at about 11:30 am yesterday amid tight security with police seeking a 10-day remand for further interrogation in an explosives case. The court granted the remand. "The court hereby cognises Mr. Bhai to be a miscreant of the worst order and hereby remands him to the tender mercies of Mahmoud the Lord High Inquisitor and Keeper of the Number Seven Truncheon. Bailiff, make it so." The second-in- command of JMB was later taken to Dhaka for interrogation, reports our Mymensingh correspondent. Earlier, three cases were filed against him with Muktagachha Police Station. Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) lodged the cases after he and his bodyguard Masud were arrested on March 6. On March 21, the same court placed him on a 10-day remand. RANGPUR Rab-5 arrested Jamaat activist Haider Ali from a house in Takerhat of Bishnapur union under Badrganj upazila on Wednesday night, according to a report from our Rangpur correspondent. The elite anti-crime force also picked up a retired army man, Shamsul Islam, 50, from a house at Botpara in Ramnathpur union of the same upazila, suspecting his links to JMB, but released him after several hours. Rab said Haider is a JMB activist. Locals however said he is a Jamaat worker but his recent activities were mysterious. He was missing for several months and returned to the village recently. District Jamaat Ameer Bellal Hossain admitted that Haider is a Jamaat member but denied his involvement with JMB. DHAKA A Dhaka court yesterday again ordered the investigation officer (IO) of an August 17 bomb blast case to submit immediately the probe report against Ataur Rahman Sunny and nine others, reports our court correspondent. Metropolitan Magistrate Shamsul Alam passed the order saying that since the IO did not submit the probe report of the case under Section 173 of the Criminal Procedure Code, he is being asked to do so immediately. Earlier, the same court on March 9 gave the same directive to the IO. The case was filed under the Explosive Substances Act with Tejgoan Police Station on August 17 last year. CHARGE-SHEETS OF THREE CASES Rab yesterday pressed charges against five JMB members in three cases filed with Uttara Police Station on January 5. The accused in the cases are Wahidul Islam, 20, Shafiqul Islam, 30, Hafez Ibrahim, 30, Abdullah Al Faruq, 21, and Hanif, 22. THREE LAWYERS TO DEFEND A JMB MAN Three lawyers of Dhaka Bar Association --Mozammel Haq, Golam Kibria and Lutfor Rahman-- on Wednesday moved a bail petition on behalf of JMB member Shamsul Haq alias Shamsu in connection with an August 17 bomb blast case. Metropolitan Magistrate Mamun Al Rashid rejected the bail petition. Shamsu was arrested from his house at Lake Circus Road in the city's Dhanmondi area on March 15. Earlier, two other lawyers --Shahadat Hossain Bachchu and Abdul Alim Fakir of the same Bar association -- were assaulted by lawyers of Gazipur and Chittagong bar associations as they went there for defending JMB members.

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Bangladesh

Mufti Hannan finally sent to jail

2006-01-24

Mufti Abdul Hannan, operations commander of banned Harkatul Jihad's (HuJi) Bangladesh chapter, was finally sent to the Dhaka Central Jail yesterday 112 days after his arrest. Meanwhile, Abdul Awal, son-in-law of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Abdur Rahman, was shown arrested in another August 17 serial bomb blast case and taken on fresh remand. The Detective Branch (DB) of police accompanied by the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) produced Hannan and Awal before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) on completion of their 10-day remand in a case filed for the blast at Mirpur Road near New Market on August 17 last year. In the forwarding report, the investigation officer (IO) mentioned that the information obtained from Hannan and Awal is being verified and the two need to be confined to jail custody until the investigation completes. On hearing, Metropolitan Magistrate Shamsul Alam ordered to send Hannan to jail, as there was no further petition for remand. Seeking another 10-day remand, DB Inspector Hassan Ali, the IO of the blast case filed with Lalbagh Police Station, said Awal was directly involved with the August 17 serial blasts, including the one at Palashi Crossing in the capital. He needs to be interrogated further to find out vital clues to the case and the whereabouts of his accomplices, he said in the forwarding report. Metropolitan Magistrate Shafique Anwar asked Awal whether he would say anything about the charges brought against him or appoint a lawyer to defend him. He refused to say anything and the magistrate placed him on a six-day remand for interrogation. Hannan has been remanded 15 times for 106 days since his arrest on October 1 last year. Awal was remanded for the 10th time, he has been on remand for 61 days since his arrest on November 18. Mufti Hannan, who dodged arrest for several years, was shown arrested in nine blast cases filed with Tejgaon, Ramna, Motijheel, New Market and Demra police stations. Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh's (JMB) Rajshahi regional chief Awal is a member of the outfit's highest tier Majlish-e-Shura and was captured from a Dinajpur-bound bus at Thakurgaon on November 18.

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Bangladesh

Aug 17 bomb blasts-Mufti Hannan placed on 5-day remand again

2005-10-13

Mufti Mohammad Abdul Hannan, the mastermind of the assassination attempt on Sheikh Hasina and a top leader of Harkat-ul-Jehad, an Islamist militant group, was placed on a further 5-day remand by the court of the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) on Wednesday in the incident of countrywide August 17 serial bomb blasts. On the other hand, Deobandh schholar Mufti Hannan told the court that he was not involved in August 17 bomb blasts incident and he was implicated unlawfully in August 17 incident. Cordoned by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the Detective Branch (DB) police on Wednesday produced the main planner of Kotalipara incident, Hannan before the court after a 10-day police remand in the case of Tejgaon police station relating to detonated bombs on August 17. In a fresh prayer by the Detective Branch (DB) police, he was shown arrested in the incident of bomb blasts at Supreme Court premises under Ramna police station. After showing him arrested in the incident at Supreme Court premises bomb blast, the Detective Branch (DB) police made a plea before the court to grant a 10-day police custody. After haring, the Metropolitan Magistrate Shamsul Alam put him on a five-day police custody for ineterrogation.

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Bangladesh

Tales from the Bengali Police Blotter (Sunday edition)

2005-06-05

No crossfire, but the RAB does play hide-and-seek with a master criminal. A top criminal of the country, Arman Khan, was remanded for seven days last night after a hide-and-seek drama by the law enforcers since his arrest Friday morning. Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-4 that arrested Arman and two of his associates from Dhanmondi in the capital filed a case against him under the Arms Act. A Rab team of about 40 took Arman to Dhanmondi Police Station at 6:30pm yesterday and filed a case for possessing three unauthorised firearms and bullets, seized when he was arrested. When contacted, the duty officer at the police station said Sub-Inspector Abdur Rouf of Rab-4 filed the case. She declined to give details, saying, "We have no record. They (Rab) have taken away all records and they will conduct the investigation." "I know nothing! Nothing! Tell them, Hogan!" About 40 Rab men in uniform and 10 others in plainclothes produced Arman before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate at 7:50pm. Our court correspondent said Arman, in lungi and shirt, was wearing a bullet-proof vest. "Mahmoud! See that he takes that thing off before we take him out early this morning to identify his confederates!" Rab prayed for a 10-day remand. Metropolitan Magistrate Shamsul Alam asked Arman if he had any lawyer and if he wanted to say anything but he replied he had nothing to say. The magistrate then placed him on a seven-day remand. A Rab press release sent to The Daily Star at 8:20 last night said they recovered three firearms, 146 bullets and three mobile phones while arresting Arman. The home ministry tasked Rab-4 with investigating the charges against him, it added. Sources said Rab took Arman to their headquarters after arresting him from House-29 on Road 14/A in Dhanmondi at 8:00am on Friday. Rab later conducted several operations in Moghbazar, Keraniganj, Savar, Ashulia and Nababganj to nab his associates and recover illegal firearms. And left Arman back at the station. Must be planning a big show trial.

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