Bangladesh Frees Terror Accused Abdus Salam Pintu After 17 Years

A Bangladesh High Court ruling has acquitted Abdus Salam Pintu, a former junior minister and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader, of charges linked to anti-India terrorism. Pintu, who had spent 17 years in jail, played a crucial role in aiding Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI).

Abdus Salam Pintu was sentenced to death for his involvement in the 2004 grenade attack targeting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. He was accused of facilitating HuJI’s recruitment and training programs in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK) and Bangladesh, as well as mobilizing funds and weapons for militants operating in Kashmir. According to a Dhaka court in 2021, Pintu and fellow BNP leader Lutfozzaman Babar actively supported HuJI’s attempts to destabilize India.

Pintu’s release follows last week’s acquittal of Babar, who was implicated in both the 2004 Sheikh Hasina attack and the Chattogram arms-haul case. Both leaders had reportedly supported HuJI through Abdus’s brother, HuJI leader Moulana Tajuddin, who fled to Pakistan with their assistance.

HuJI’s Global Designation and Anti-India Operations

HuJI, designated as a terrorist organization in India, Bangladesh, Israel, the UK, and the US, has carried out several attacks under Pakistan’s “Bleed India with a Thousand Cuts” doctrine. These include the Varanasi court complex bombings in 2006, the Ajmer Sharif Dargah blast in 2007, and Delhi bombings in 2011. The group operates in collaboration with other Pakistan-backed organizations like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), often receiving support from the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

Implications of the Release

The release of Pintu and Babar, under the leadership of Bangladesh’s Naya government, raises concerns about increasing leniency toward individuals with anti-India and Islamist leanings. This development follows the recent freeing of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) chief Jashimuddin Rahmani, associated with al-Qaida.

Abdus Salam Pintu previously served as deputy minister for information, industries, and education under former BNP Prime Minister Khaleda Zia. His release has ignited debates over Bangladesh’s judicial approach toward convicted terrorists and its potential implications for regional security.

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