LeT- supplied grenades used to kill Kibria

 The grenades were hurled at AL chief Sheikh Hasina (who was then opposition leader) on August 21, 2004, the then British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury, AL leaders Suranjit Sengupta, Syeda Jebunnesa Haq, and Badruddin Ahmed Kamran, also Mayor of Sylhet. The revelation came years into the sensational killing of former finance minister Kibria at an AL rally in Baidder Bazar in Habiganj.

This information could lead to arrest of those masterminding the murder of senior AL leader well after eight years since the heinous crime was committed. Rafiqul Islam of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) who is tasked with carrying out an additional investigation into the killing, said, "We now know who supplied the grenades and who received those in Bangladesh."

Mozaffar Shah, leader of the Kashmir-based LeT, sent the grenades to Chittagong through a ship from Pakistan. Majid Butt and Maulana Tajuddin were responsible for receiving those in Chittagong and transport the lot to the capital. Majid Butt, who also used the name Yusuf Butt, is a Pakistani national and senior leader of Kashmir-based militant organisation Hizbul Mujahideen. He had been staying in Bangladesh for long using different names to hide his identity. He married a Bangladeshi woman from Pabna and was staying in different parts of the country including Dhaka. Majid Butt was arrested with firearms in Dhaka on January 7, 2009. His identity as a militant operative in disguise was revealed during the investigation.

On the other hand, Maulana Tajuddin is the brother of Abdus Salam Pintu, senior BNP leader and former deputy minister, now in jail facing trial in the August 21, 2004 grenade blast on AL rally in Dhaka aimed at eliminating Sheikh Hasina. Maulana Tajuddin, who was head of Bangladesh chapter of LeT, went into hiding after the August 21 grenade attack on Sheikh Hasina.

Pakistan-based LeT, Hizbul Mujahideen and Jaish-e-Mohammad are linked with an alliance operating in Kashmir. HUJI is the local facilitator for smuggling firearms, ammunition and explosives there through Bangladesh. The Border Security Force intercepted a consignment of firearms and explosives during such an attempt by the end of 2003. This shook the HUJI and affected its maneuverings badly. Apprehending being caught red handed by BSF, the HUJI

cadres did not transport the 32 grenades to Kashmiri militants and kept them in Bangladesh. Maulana Tajuddin brought those to Dhaka with the help of Pakistani LeT activist Majid Butt.

Of the 32 grenades, nine were sent to HUJI in Sylhet region for use in different attacks on AL leaders and the then British high commissioner. Sharif Shahedul Alam Bipul, a leader of HUJI’s Sylhet region who received the grenades and distributed those as per their "needs", kept one to kill SAMS Kibria.

Instructed by Bipul, one Nayeem Ahmed Arif alias Limu gave the grenade to Badrul Alam Mizan to execute Kibria killing plan on January 27, 2005. Mizan had Mizanur Rahman Mithu, Mohammad Ali and Mohammad Badrul with him during the operation. Splitting in two groups, Mizan and Mohammad Ali were riding on a motorbike, while the rest took an auto-rickshaw to reach Baidder Bazar where Kibria, also the MP elected from the constituency, was attending a programme as

the chief guest.

Though assigned to throw the grenade, Mohammad Ali got nervous and asked Mizan to do it. Well-trained in handling explosives, Mizan carried out the mission successfully. Talking on the motive of the killing, the investigators quoted detained HUJI leader Mufti Abdul Hannan as saying that the HUJI Majlish-e- Shura (highest policy making body) was of the view that the AL is an anti-Islam and pro-Indian political party that needed to be eliminated.

This viewpoint led Bipul to design several plans to attack AL leaders in Sylhet region. Many leaders of the then BNP/JEI government were fully aware of HUJI’s plans. Instead of taking any steps against HUJI, they kept silent encouraging the HUJI activists to continue with their plans. Though several such instances have come to notice during investigations only Lutfozzaman Babar, former State Minister for Home, was shown arrested in connection with the Kibria murder.

"What we have learned about Babar so far regarding his involvement in the case is that he helped Maulana Tajuddin escape to Pakistan," said investigation officer (IO) Rafiqul Islam of CID. After his detention by the Directorate General of Forces

Intelligence in 2005, Tajuddin revealed information about all the attacks carried out by HUJI, including procurement and smuggling of firearms and explosives. DGFI conveyed every thing to the government high-ups including Babar. Instead of taking any action against Tajuddin, Babar arranged a safe passage to Pakistan for him. "Being the state minister for home, Babar helped Tajuddin escape and diverted the course of investigation. We\'re now examining whether his role allows us to accuse him officially in the charge sheet," the IO added.

Asma Kibria, widow of Kibria, said she has no idea what is coming up in the investigation. "What I know is from newspaper reports. And I am not satisfied because I thought the AL government could expedite the process and take shorter period of time," she said. "We are disappointed. If the party my husband worked for, which is now in power, fails to punish the killers, we don\'t see any slightest possibility of justice in future”.