HuJI\\\'s death row convict Bakkar held

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel on Wednesday night arrested Abu Bakkar, a top activist of outlawed outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad Al Islami (HuJI), who was sentenced to death for the 2001 Ramna Batamul bomb blast. RAB’s media wing director Mufti Mahmud Khan said Bakkar was picked up from Keraniganj Upzaila in the outskirts of Dhaka city around 11pm. Bakkar is also charged for grenade attack at an Awami League rally in Bangabandhu Avenue of Dhaka city in 2004. He is said to be one of the closest associates of HuJI’s top leader Mufti Hannan. The 2001 explosions on Pahela Baishakh – the Bengali news year’s day – at Ramna Park in the city left 19 dead and scores injured. In June this year, the court sentenced eight to death including, Mufti Hannan and Abu Bakkar and life in prison for six others for exploding bombs at the Bengali new year celebrations at Ramna Babamul on April 14, 2001, according to private TV channels.