2001 Ramna Batamul blast: Death row convict Mufti Abdul Hai arrested

Rapid Action Battalion today (May 25, 2022) arrested Mufti Abdul Hai, a death row convict in the bomb blasts during Pahela Baishakh celebrations 21 years ago at Ramna Batamul in 2001, and Kotalipara bombing in Gopalganj, from Fatullah in Narayanganj.

He was also sentenced to life term imprisonment in several other cases, said a Rab press release.

Mufti Abdul Hai was the founder of the banned militant group Huji, read the release.

Rab will hold a press conference in this regard at its Media Centre at Karwan Bazar tomorrow (May 26, 2022).

On April 14, last month, Rab had arrested Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, another death row convict in the 2001 Ramna Batamul bomb blasts during Pahela Baishakh celebrations. He had been hiding in a remote char area in Narsingdi, posing as an imam of a mosque under an alias, "Abdul Karim". 

Ten people were killed and dozens were injured after two bombs went off during the celebrations of Bangla New Year, 1408 (on April 14, 2001).

In June 2014, a Dhaka court handed down the death penalty to eight militants of Harkatul Jihad al Islami Bangladesh (Huji-B), including Mufti Shafiqur and its top leader Mufti Abdul Hannan.

Six other militants of the banned outfit were sentenced to life imprisonment for their involvement in the blasts.