Crude bombs hurled at prison van carrying Mufti Hannan

Staff Correspondent, Gazipur: Crude bombs were thrown at a prison van carrying 19 accused including Mufti Hannan, chief of the banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (Huji), and some of his associates at Tongi of Gazipur on Monday afternoon.

The prison van carrying Hannan came under attack at College Gate area on Dhaka-Mymensingh highway around 5:30pm.

Police have detained a youth named Mostafa Kamal, 22, son of Mozammel Hossain, hailing from Pagli village in Tarakanda upazila of Mymensingh, in this connection.

Confirming the matter to risingbd.com, Hafizul Islam, Sub-Inspector (SI) of Gazipur traffic department, said a police team was leading the prison van on way to the Kashimpur High Security Central Jail from Dhaka.

Suddenly, a youth threw two crude bombs at the prison van carrying 19 accused including Mufti Hannan, chief of the banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (Huji), and some of his associates when the van reached Tongi area of Gazipur around 5:30pm.

No one was injured in this connection, the SI added.

Mostafa Kamal was detained from the spot in this connection with seven crude bombs, two machetes and Tk 7500, Firoz Talukdar, officer-in-charge (OC) of Tongi Police Station.

The detainee is now under custody of the police station, the OC said.

He hurled a bomb targeting the van in exchange of Tk 10,000, police said quoting Kamal after a primary interrogation, the OC added.

risingbd/GAZIPUR/Mar 6, 2017/Hasmot Ali/Amirul