A Chittagong court yesterday framed charges against Hefazat-e-Islam Senior Nayeb-e-Ameer Mufti Izharul Islam and his son Harun Bin Izhar in a case lodged over recovery of picric acid after grenade blasts at his Lalkhan Bazar Madrasa in the port city.
The court of Chittagong Metropolitan Sessions Judge SM Mujibur Rahman passed the order in presence of Harun and fixed July 15 for further hearing, said court sources.
According to the charge sheet, 18 bottles of picric acid, each containing 500 milligram of the liquid, were found in the office of Mufti Izhar. It is also said the acid could be used to make about 300 grenades.
The accused kept these explosives in their possession for carrying out massive subversion, the charge sheet said.
Mohammad Fakhruddin, public prosecutor of the Chittagong Metropolitan Court, told Dhaka Tribune that there was no reason behind the stashing of such a huge quantity of the acid in a madrasa. That was why the court observed that they had been planning massive violence in the city.
“When Harun Izhar was asked why the acid was stocked in his father’s office, he could not give any satisfactory answer to the court,” he said.
He also said the court had framed charges against Izhar and his son under section 36 of Acid Control Act 2002.
SI Sontosh Chakma of Detective Branch, in-charge of the Bomb Disposal Unit of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, said apart from the use in making grenades, picric acid itself was a devastating explosive and the recovered acid was enough to demolish two or three buildings in one shot.
“This type of high-powered explosives is highly risky for being preserved in civil possession,” he said.
On October 7 last year, several locally-made grenades went off at a dorm room in the Jamiatul Ulum Al Islamia Madrasa, a Qawmi madrasa whose founder director was Mufti Izharul. The blasts left five students critically injured. Three of them later succumbed to their injuries.
Later, police combed the entire madrasa complex and found some explosives and a huge quantity of grenade-making materials. Three cases – for murder, explosives possession and recovery of picric acid - were lodged with the Khulshi police station in this connection.
