[The report was printed on May 21, 2014]

A former DGFI official yesterday told a Dhaka court how his superior officers ensured a safe passage to Pakistan for Maulana Tajuddin, a suspect in the August 21 grenade attack case.
Major (sacked) Monirul Islam, who joined the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) in June 2006, said senior DGFI officials ensured a fake passport, Pakistani visa, Dhaka-Karachi air ticket and airport entry for Tajuddin.
Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 of Dhaka recorded the statement of Monirul, the 84th prosecution witness in the case, and later fixed May 26 for cross-examination.
Aimed at assassinating Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, the grenade attack on an AL rally on August 21, 2004 left at least 23 leaders and activists of the party killed and scores injured.
In his deposition, Monirul said everything was done for Tajuddin as per the directions of "high authorities". At that time, Maj Gen (retd) Sadik Hasan Rumi was the director general of the DGFI.
Monirul said on one October afternoon in 2006, Lt Commander Mizan, an official with the Counter Terrorism Intelligence Bureau (CTIB) of the DGFI took Tajuddin to a safe house in Gulshan on orders of Lt Col Saiful Islam Joarder, who was the general staff officer of the DGFI back then.
Tajuddin was with Maulana Abdus Salam, founder of banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (Huji), at the safe house when Saiful along with Lt Col Afzal Naser Bhuiyan and Maj Monirul, both of whom were with the CTIB, went there.
It was Maulana Salam who had helped the DGFI get Tajuddin, brother of former deputy minister and BNP leader Abdus Salam Pintu.
After arranging accommodation for the two, Saiful left the safe house, saying he would return at night.
Later around 8:00pm, Saiful with Monirul, Afzal and Mizan came to the safe house.
Saiful and Afzal had a talk with Tajuddin while Monirul and Mizan were waiting in an adjacent room. Saiful then informed others that DGFI director Brig Gen ATM Amin would come for dinner.
After Amin arrived at 11:00pm, the DGFI officials had a long discussion with Tajuddin.
All but Tajuddin and Salam left the safe house around half past midnight.
Around 11:30am next day, Amin, Saiful, Afzal, Mizan and Monirul came to the safe house for another round of talks with Tajuddin in presence of Salam.
The officials asked Tajuddin about his involvement in the grenade attacks.
Tajuddin told them that he had supplied grenades and other Huji members carried out the attacks.
Tajuddin's version matched Huji leader Mufti Hannan's statement given to the Task Force Intelligence (TFI) cell earlier.
Then Amin and Saiful went out of the room to make a phone call.
Once they returned inside after the call, Saiful informed others that "high authorities" had ordered to send Tajuddin to Pakistan immediately. Amin said he too had been given the same orders on phone.
Amin directed Saiful to arrange everything to comply with the order. Saiful then directed Monirul and Mizan to arrange passport, visa and air ticket for Tajuddin.
Then they left the safe house.
Later Tajuddin told Monirul that he already had a passport and he would give it to him very soon.
However, two days later, Saiful himself gave Monirul a passport with Pakistani visa and a ticket of Bangladesh Biman's Dhaka-Karachi flight and asked him to escort Tajuddin to Zia International Airport (now Hazrat Shahjalal Int'l Airport) along with Lt Commander Mizan.
Monirul found that the passport had Tajuddin's photo but his name was changed to Badal and Rajshahi was shown as his home address.
Saiful said there would not be any problem and then made a phone call to ensure that Monirul and Mizan could enter the airport.
The duo along with Tajuddin went to the airport, and completed all formalities with the help of some DGFI men.
Monirul and Mizan left the airport after Tajuddin boarded the Karachi-bound flight on October 13, the witness concluded.