Two crude bombs were hurled at a prison van carrying Mufti Hannan, chief of the banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (Huji), and some of his associates at Tongi in Gazipur on Monday.

Mizanur Rahman, jail super of high security unit of Kashimpur Jail, said the prison van came under the attack around 5:30pm while Mufti Hannan and his aides were being taken to Kashimpur jail from a Dhaka court, reports UNB.

Two bombs were tossed at the van but those went off on the road missing the target.

Meanwhile, police escorting the prison van arrested a young man, Mostafa Kamal, 22, hailing from Pagli village in Tarakanda upazila of Mymensingh, from the spot along with a bag containing two patrol bombs, two sound grenades, two crude bombs and two machetes, said Tongi Police Station Firoz Talukdar Officer-in-charge.

Another attacker fled the scene, the OC said, adding that the arrested youth reportedly confessed to police that he exploded the bombs targeting the prison van in exchange for Tk 10,000.

However, it was not clear who hired him for the job.