2 AL leaders involved

Mufti Abdul Hannan, the prime accused in the attempted murder of Sheikh Hasina in Kotalipara, Gopalganj, yesterday named two AL leaders for their alleged involvement in the plot.
The two leaders are AL's Religious Affairs Secretary Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Gopalganj District unit's Joint General Secretary Mahbub Ali Khan.
“Quiz the two leaders for truth. They know everything,” Hannan was shouting at journalists who were waiting outside the courtroom of Gopalganj District and Sessions Judge's Court.
The Huji leader was brought to the court for his appearance in three cases involving the incident of planting bombs at the venue of a public rally of Hasina in Kotalipara in 2000.
He was brought to Gopalganj nine years after the proceedings of the cases started. But the hearing was not held as other co-accused could not be produced before the court.
Hannan said he was not involved in the incident, but rather had been made a scapegoat.
Many AL leaders of Kotalipara were involved in the incident, he said.
Hannan received life sentence in an arms case involving the same incident.
In reaction, the AL leaders denied the allegations at a press conference at Gopalganj Press Club.
Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah said Hannan made the allegation to taint his image in the political arena and gain some advantages in court. He said he assisted the state lawyer in the arms case against Hannan.
Mahbub Ali Khan said he was in India during the incident and heard the news from some AL leaders.
During the press conference, a number of young people gathered outside Gopalganj Press Club and called the two leaders 'cohorts' of Mufti Hannan.
District AL Vice President Idris Ali and other leaders including Ahmed Nawsher Ali Mithu Sardar and Chowdhury Emdadul Haque were present at the press conference.