Ramna Batamul Death-Row Convict Hid in Madrasa for 14 Years

Arrested death-row convict in the much-talked about Ramna Batamul bombing case Mufti Shafiqur Rahman alias Abdul Karim alias Shafiqul Islam had gone into hiding in a madrasa of a remote village in Narsingdi district to avoid arrest, reports media.

He worked at the madrasa as an imam.

Shafiqur is also a life-term convict in August 21, 2004 grenade attack case.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested him from Bhairab in Kishoreganj district on Thursday night.

Commander Khandker Al Moin disclosed the details about Mufti Shafiqur Rahman at a press conference held at RAB media centre on Friday afternoon.

He said Shafiqur Rahman was involved in the planning of August 21 grenade attack. He is also a chargesheeted accused in former finance minister SAMS Kibria murder case. Besides, there are six arrest warrants against him with Bhairab Police Station.

RAB said Shafiqur started studying at madrasa after passing Class V in a school in his village in Bhairab. He studied at a madrasa at Chalkbazar in Dhaka from 1975 to 1983. Then he went to Darul Ulum Deoband Madrasa in India and studied there until 1986. Later, he came back to Bangladesh.

In 1987, Shafiqur got admitted to the Fatwa department of Yusuf bin Noori Madrasa in Karachi of Pakistan where he completed the three-year Fatwa course. He then went to Afghanistan from Pakistan and fought in favour of Taliban.

Shafiqur returned to Bangladesh at the end of 1989, and started working part-time at a madrasa at Khilgaon in Dhaka. He got acquainted with Mufti Hannan when the later went New Town in Karachi of Pakistan in 1987.

He got introduced to militant organisation Harkat-ul Jihad (HuJi) when he went Afghanistan from Pakistan. After returning to Bangladesh, he tried to float a militant organisation named 'HuJi B' in Bangladesh.

In 1990, he along with the like-minded people established Harkat-ul Jihad (B) and started mobilising members. He was the publicity secretary of HuJi B from 1990 to 1993.

Shafiqur was the ameer of Harkat-ul Jihad from 1993 to 1997. He also served as a shura member of HuJi B from 1997 to 2003.

RAB said Shafiqur was involved in bomb attack on Ramna Batamul Pahela Boishakh programme in 2001, grenade attack at Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21 in 2004 and grenade attack at Boidder Bazar under Habiganj sadar police station on January 27, 2005 that left five people including the then finance minister SAMS Kibria dead and more than 100 injured.

He was also associated with the organisation remaining absconding from 2001 to 2008. He then had been started working at a madrasa in Narsingdi since 2008 changing his name.