Agartala: Tripura state Jamiat-Ulema-i-Hind, an apex body of the Muslims in Tripura, demanded unconditional release of Bilal Ahmed, the arrested Imam of Nagicherra mosque near here and stop harassing innocent Muslims in the name of investigation of October 1 serial blasts in Agartala.

A four-member delegation of the body led by it s President, Mufti Taibur Rehaman, met Chief Minister, Manik Sarkar, last night and put forward their demands.

The Jamiat leadership also demanded immediate reinstatement of Shahid Chowdhury in the council of ministers on the plea that he was forced to submit his resignation due to "baseless nature of the charges".

Chowdhury resigned from the ministry on April 17 following massive coverage of his alleged links with Bangladesh-based HUJI activists in the local media .

Sources said the Crime Investigation Departmnent (CID) was exploring the possibility of a collaboration between HUJI and outlawed insurgent outfit, All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF) behind the bomb blasts.

A CID officer said they were yet to get definite clue behind the October 1 serial blasts here, but it was suspected that some overground and underground activists were involved with the blasts.

"We are exploring the possiblity because the ATTF which has base camps in Sylhet and Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh have links with HUJI, so, both of them could have engineered the blasts," the officer said.

The CID team have so far arrested and detained 10 people, including Bilal Ahmed and six tribals.
Source : PTI