HuJI chief, two associates buried in Bangladesh

HuJI was formed in 1992 by Bangladeshis who took part in the Afghan war against the Soviet forces in Afghanistan.

Dhaka, April 13: The bodies of Harkat-ul-Jihad al- Islami chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and his two associates were buried after they were executed for a deadly attack on a shrine in 2004 that killed three persons and wounded the British high commissioner to Bangladesh.

Hannan, 60, was hanged on Wednesday night at Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur along with his accomplice Sharif Shahedul alias Bipul, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan said. His associate Delwar Hossain Ripon was executed in Sylhet jail, the minister added.

The bodies of the three were taken to their family plots in Moulvibazar, Chandpur and Gopalganj immediately after their sentences were carried out.

Hannan has been buried at his family's graveyard in Gopalganj after his execution at Dhaka's Kashimpur Jail. Hannan's older brother Moulana Aliuzzaman Munshi received the body, Kamrul Farooq, police official at Kotaliparha, was quoted as saying by bdnews.

Bipul, an accomplice of Hannan, has been buried at his family's plot in Chandpur Sadar Upazila's South Moishadi village. Bipul's body was buried immediately after funeral prayers upon its arrival on Thursday, said Moishadi Union Parishad Chairman Moniruzaaman Manik. Bipul is survived by his wife and 9-year old son.

The body of Ripon has been buried near his ancestral home in Moulvibazar. The funeral prayers were held at the Brahminbazar Union Konagaon village Eidgah field around 2:30 pm on Thursday. The body was then buried at a grave near the Eidgah field.

The three militants were executed after President Abdul Hamid rejected their mercy petitions this week. Hannan, who studied in India and Pakistan, had fought against the Soviets in Afghanistan before returning to join HuJI, media reports said.

On March 19, the Supreme Court reconfirmed its earlier verdict, endorsing death penalty to Hannan and the two others for the 2004 attack on the then UK envoy. The then Bangladeshi born British High Commissioner Anwar Chowdhury narrowly escaped the grenade attack at a shrine in northeastern Sylhet that killed three people, all policemen, and injured 70 others.

Anwar sustained minor injuries. Hannan and seven other kingpins and operatives of Huji were earlier sentenced to death by another court in Dhaka for a deadly 2001 bomb attack that killed 10 people during Bengali New Year celebrations at a public park. HuJI was formed in 1992 by Bangladeshis who took part in the Afghan war against the Soviet forces in Afghanistan.

PTI