Mufti Hannan jailbreak attempt fails

In movie-style high drama, an attempt was made to snatch Mufti Hannan, one of the biggest militant masterminds, from police custody on Monday evening. A prison convoy carrying militants en route to Kashimpur Central Jail was attacked near College Gate in Tongi around 6pm by a lone bomber. Tongi SP Harun-ar-Rashid confirmed that the would-be rescuer had been detained. Mufti Hannan, a death row convict, was read out his death warrant earlier in February. He had also filed a review petition against the sentence.

---

Also Read- Death warrant read out to Mufti Hannan, execution soon

---

According to Tongi OC Firoz Talukdar, when the prison convoy was passing through College Gate area, a young man attacked the van with a pair of crude bombs, which missed and exploded harmlessly on the road. The militant's bag contents revealed dozens of crude bombs Collected

---

Also Read- 4 Huji men held with bombs in Gazipur

---

A nearby traffic patrol was alerted by the explosion. Rushing to the scene, they managed to capture the young man, who has since been identified as Mostofa Kamal, 25, from Mymensingh. Mostofa has been captured with about a dozen crude bombs and Tk7,500 in cash. During his primary interrogation, he told the police that he was paid Tk10,000 to hurl the bombs at the prison van. It has been confirmed that some of the prisoners on the van are close associates of Mufti Hannan, chief of a faction of Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh (HujiB). When contacted for further details, Senior Jail Superintendent Mizanur Rahman said four prisoners had been sent out to appear before a court on Monday. Mizanur said: "Four vans had been despatched and all four have returned." Mostofa Kamal, the lone bomber who attempted to rescue the HuJiB leader CollectedAsked whether Mufti Hannan or any of his associates were able to escape during the rescue attempt, Mizanur said they had all returned to the prison. Mufti Hannan's faction of HujiB was allegedly involved in the August 21 bombing on an Awami League rally, the 2001 Ramna bomb blasts, the 1999 bombing on a cultural event of Udichi in Jessore and an attempt to assassinate the then British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury in Sylhet in 2004. He was sentenced to death for the death of three people in the attack on Bangladesh-origin envoy Anwar Choudhury. After his appeals were rejected by the High Court and the Appellate Division, the jail authorities read out the death warrant to him on February 6. Earlier, investigators had announced they had captured three militants over the past two weeks from Dhaka who were planning to bust Mufti Hannan out of prison. Two were arrested from Mohammadpur on February 22 and one was seized from Shahjahanpur on March 1.

---

Also Read- 3 JMB men snatched from police

---

Authorities had also claimed that HujiB was going to attempt to break Mufti Hannan out of jail before his execution. The HujiB has carried out at least 14 attacks in which over 100 people have been killed since its formation in 1992 with a view to establish Shariah Law in the country. According to law enforcers, the plan was very similar to the one used to snatch three condemned JMB militants from police custody in 2014 killing a police constable. Two of the militants have since escaped to India but the third was recaptured within hours by the police. The audacious rescue involved over two dozen militants rushing the prison van in Trishal in Mymensingh.