Hasina links Mufti Hannan, patrons to Aug 21 attack: CID
Saturday, 24 November 2007
Detained former prime minister Sheikh Hasina Thursday said she might not get justice in the case of the August 21 grenade attack, a police officer said, reports bdnews24.com
Hasina shared her scepticism with a team of the Criminal Investigation Department that recorded her testimony in special jail on the Jatiya Sangsad complex.
Police officer Nawsher Ali, who led the four-member CID team, told reporters that Hasina was sceptical about getting justice as there was no remarkable progress in the case.
The police officer quoted Hasina as telling him that she believed that Mufti Abdul Hannan of Harkatul Jihad was involved in the incident.
Hasina also asked the law enforcers to find out the patrons of Mufti Hannan, Nawsher said adding that she named some other people.
Further details would be kept under wraps for the sake of investigation, he added.
Nawsher quoted Hasina as saying: "The grenade attack was aimed at killing me. But I escaped splinters as I was surrounded by party workers. The sound of explosion damaged my left ear. I heard gunshots."
The police officer said the leaders and workers who had been on the makeshift dais on a truck for August 21, 2004 rally of the Awami League would testify. Law enforcers have so far recorded testimonies of 12 people.
The investigators spent four hours with Hasina until 3.45pm.
An Awami League leader preferring anonymity told bdnews24.com that Hasina asked the jail authorities for a lawyer during the recording of testimonies. But the authorities did not keep her request.
Deputy inspector general of prisons Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told bdnews24.com that Hasina was not an accused in the case. She is a witness.
"So there was no need to have a lawyer present during the recording of testimony," he said.
Assistant superintendent of police (CID) Fazlul Kabir, investigation officer of the case, told reporters that Hasina had given her statement "spontaneously".
Hasina shared her scepticism with a team of the Criminal Investigation Department that recorded her testimony in special jail on the Jatiya Sangsad complex.
Police officer Nawsher Ali, who led the four-member CID team, told reporters that Hasina was sceptical about getting justice as there was no remarkable progress in the case.
The police officer quoted Hasina as telling him that she believed that Mufti Abdul Hannan of Harkatul Jihad was involved in the incident.
Hasina also asked the law enforcers to find out the patrons of Mufti Hannan, Nawsher said adding that she named some other people.
Further details would be kept under wraps for the sake of investigation, he added.
Nawsher quoted Hasina as saying: "The grenade attack was aimed at killing me. But I escaped splinters as I was surrounded by party workers. The sound of explosion damaged my left ear. I heard gunshots."
The police officer said the leaders and workers who had been on the makeshift dais on a truck for August 21, 2004 rally of the Awami League would testify. Law enforcers have so far recorded testimonies of 12 people.
The investigators spent four hours with Hasina until 3.45pm.
An Awami League leader preferring anonymity told bdnews24.com that Hasina asked the jail authorities for a lawyer during the recording of testimonies. But the authorities did not keep her request.
Deputy inspector general of prisons Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui told bdnews24.com that Hasina was not an accused in the case. She is a witness.
"So there was no need to have a lawyer present during the recording of testimony," he said.
Assistant superintendent of police (CID) Fazlul Kabir, investigation officer of the case, told reporters that Hasina had given her statement "spontaneously".