Maiden mosque militant attack case in limbo

It has been more than four years since a Shia mosque in Bogura was attacked by militants but the trial has not started yet.

Masjid-e-Mostofa of Haripur village in Shibganj upazila was attacked on November 26, 2015. Eight people, including the muajjin of the mosque, sustained bullet injuries in the attack. 

The muajjin later died while being taken to hospital. 

Police said this was the first militant attack on a mosque in Bangladesh. Accountant of the mosque, Shona Mia, filed a case with Shibganj Police Station against unidentified persons after the attack.

Public Prosecutor Abdul Motin said Yeasin, the prime accused and mastermind of the attack, could not be moved from Kashimpur jail to Bogura court as there were various cases against him filed with different police stations in the country. 

"The court wants to formally indict him [Yeasin] after the hearing. As he has not been moved to Bogura, no charge has been framed and the trial has not started yet," he added.

February 13 has been set for presenting Yeasin in front of the Bogura District and Sessions Judge Court. 

"The previous date was October 10, 2019," said Motin. 

Superintendent of Bogura district jail, Sayeed Hossain, said the prime accused would be brought to Bogura as per the court directive.

Md Kamruzzaman, the then inspector of Shibganj Police Station and the investigation officer of the case, filed the case charge-sheet on January 18, 2017.

According to the charge-sheet, 13 trained members of the outlawed Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh and Chhatra Shibir took part in the attack. 

Four of them died in police shootout, five absconded, and the remaining four are in prison.

Six of the accused, carrying firearms and grenades in schoolbags, came to the mosque on two motorcycles. They attacked those who were praying and fled.

Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh leaders had earlier described the Shia community as kafir (non-believer) and declared jihad against them. The attack was a continuation of this.

The nine accused in the case are Yeasin Ali, 40, Emdadul Haque, 28, Abdul Based, 27, Abdul Hamid alias Hamidul, 22, Abdul Momin Mondol, 25, Rajibul Islam alias Badol, 26, Khademul Islam alias Badshah, 24,

Azad Pramanik, 24, and Azadul Kabiraj alias Biplob, 32. 

Of them, Yeasin, Emdadul, Based and Momin are in prison. Badol, Hamidul, Badshah, Azad and Biplob remain absconded. 

The mastermind of the attack, Yeasin, was arrested on December 11, 2015, from Jaipurhat. On the same day, Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh members Based and Emdadul were arrested from Shibganj. 

They gave confessional statements in a Bogura court the next day.

In his statement, Yeasin said, "The Shia pray three times a day. They mock our last prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH). That is why we declared jihad and attacked their mosque."

Based on Yeasin's statement, police arrested Momin, a student of Government Azizul Haque College in Bogura. An American .22 long rifle, a local pistol and 52 fresh bullets were seized from him.

According to the charge-sheet, the accused kept their motorcycles in a brick kiln next to the mosque. They padlocked the main gate of the mosque. 

Anower, who later died in police shootout, opened fire on the praying Muslims. After two to three minutes, they left the place.