Relieved

Thirteen years have passed since the terror attack at Hazrat Shahjalal's mazar in Sylhet, but the memory of the horror never left the victims.

Rahmat Ali, a local journalist who survived the attack, still bears the splinter wounds.

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But there was something that hurt him more than his injuries -- the implementation of the verdict was taking “forever” and the main culprits were out of the jail.

“But the execution of the verdict [last night] has healed that wound now,” he said.

The May 21, 2004, attack left three people dead and over 70 injured.

On that day, Rahmat was with British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury at the shrine for news. As Anwar was a Bangladeshi-born British citizen, his appointment as a high commissioner caught many people's attention in Sylhet Division, Anwar's birthplace.

Many people joined the crowd only to see him. After the Juma prayers, as soon as Anwar reached near the main gate, an explosion turned the holy place into a site of horror.

Rahmat was admitted to the hospital for one month after the incident and needs regular check-ups even today. Still carrying splinters in his body, Rahmat took treatment at a Kolkata Hospital two months back.

Another local journalist Muhibur Rahman still has three splinters in his right leg and hand.

Expressing satisfaction over the execution of Mufti Hannan and two others, he said the verdict established the rule of law and justice. He hoped that the punishment would stop recurrence of such incidents.

Muzahid Hossain, a khadem of the Dargah who had his shop beside the main gate, went to the spot after the incident and witnessed the horrors. Police detained him the next evening for questioning, but released him a day later.

Hailing the execution of the verdict, Muzahid said, “I can't express how relieved I am now.”