Govt confused by minister’s alleged role in Hannan’s mercy plea
The government was again confused on Friday as a state minister and two BNP leaders were reportedly found involved in the efforts of Mufti Abdul Hannan, a militant kingpin, to manage mercy for him in four cases.
‘The reported involvement of two ministers in the mercy petition of Mufti Hannan has made us confused,’ a senior minister told New Age Friday evening.
The minister, also a policymaker of the government, made the remark when his attention was drawn to reports published in two Bangla daily newspapers.
The reports said the state minister for water resources,
Gautam Chakraborty, who was also minister in charge of Gopalganj, the district BNP president
Saifur Rahman Nantu and senior vice-president
Maniruzzaman Pinu recommended that the mercy petition should be considered.
According to the reports, Hannan, a senior leader of the banned Islamist outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, filed a petition to the home ministry on November 17, 2002, for his mercy in four cases, filed against him on ‘political grounds.’
Altaf Hossain Chowdhury, then home minister, asked the committee concerned in the ministry to examine the petition.
The committee officials concerned, however, did not forward the file as the petitioner, Hannan, was in hiding. Gautam in the evening on Friday told New Age, ‘I cannot remember to have recommended a mercy petition for Hannan. But I am sure he never met me.’
The state minister said his signature might have been forged. ‘I will go to the home ministry on Sunday to verify whether the signature is genuine.’ ‘I might have recommended examining a petition if it had been forwarded to me or placed before me by local lawmaker or party leaders,’ he said.
‘Recommending examination of an issue does not mean that authorities concerned are bound to implement it,’ he said.
Hannan, arrested in Dhaka on October 1, told reporters he had contacted
Maulana Muhiuddin Khan, editor of the monthly Madina, and
former home minister Altaf Hossain Chowdhury to get relief from the cases under the arms and explosive acts.
Both Altaf and Muhiuddin denied their involvement with Hannan’s petition.
Hannan was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment in an arms and explosive case.
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