'JMB' man indicted

Detective Branch (DB) of Chittagong Metropolitan Police yesterday pressed charge against an alleged activist of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in a case filed over killing of a "Pir" (spiritual mentor) and his aide in a shrine in the port city last year.

DB Sub-inspector Santosh Kumar Chakma, also investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted two charge sheets--one for the killing and another for using explosives--against "JMB activist" Md Sujan alias Babu to the Chittagong Metropolitan Magistrate court, said Assistant Commissioner (Prosecution) Nirmalendu Bikash Chakraborty of Chittagong Metropolitan Police.

"Pir" Rahamat Ullah, popularly known as Lyangta Fakir, 60, for being in the nude most of the time and "Khadem" Abdul Kader, 30, were killed in Lyangta Fakir Mazar at Bangla Bazar on September 4 last year.

After the killing, police quoting locals said a young man entering the shrine around 1:45pm, and later they found the "Pir" and his attendant dead with their throats slit. The criminal exploded a homemade bomb to escape the scene that injured three people, added police. He first slit the throat of Rahamat when people had gone to offer their the Juma prayers, said police. The man killed Kader when he had arrived at the scene with food for Rahamat, locals said.

Detectives arrested five JMB men, including Sujan alias Babu, along with some hand-made grenades and explosives on the ground floor of Hazi Nur Ahmed Tower in Khowajnagar of Azimpur in the city on October 5 last year.

Sujan later confessed to the killing before the court.