Minhaz alias Shaon, Comilla district commander of the militant outfit arrested in Chittagong on April 26, also admitted that JMB military commander Ataur Rahman Sunny led the operations while he and two other operatives--Shamim and Shahid alias Shad--took part in it.

Metropolitan Magistrate Shafique Anwar recorded his statement yesterday.

Earlier, the JMB chief admitted to the Rapid Action Battalion interrogators that his operatives carried out the attacks on writer Humayun Azad and Rajshahi University teacher Prof Yunus in 2004, and four cinemas in Mymensingh.

Shaon who resided in a mess at Jhilpar of Sabujbagh in the capital said he bought Prof Azad's book titled "Pak Sar Zamin Sad Baad" in January 2004 and gave it to the JMB chief for reading.

"After reading the book, Rahman said Humayun Azad has no right to be alive as he makes indecent remarks about Allah and the prophet," Shaon told the metropolitan magistrate.

He confessed that Rahman directed Sunny and the three to kill Prof Azad and accordingly they made a blue print of the attack.

Shaon said as they came to know that Humayun Azad used to leave the Ekushey Book Fair on the Bangla Academy premises sometime between 8:00pm and 9:00pm on foot, they took position opposite the academy around 8:00pm on February 27, 2004.

At 9:15pm, the three started following Azad on his way home. "As Azad reached in front of the Atomic Energy Commission, Shamim and I started chopping him in the head and cheek and Azad collapsed on the ground," Shaon said.

As locals rushed to the scene, hearing Azad's cry, Shahid blasted a bomb to disperse people and melted in the crowd.

On the other killing, Shaon said they killed the writer of the book "Nari Tumi Manush Chhile Kobey", Monir Hossain Sagar of Delduar in Tangail in 2000 as indecent remarks about Allah and the prophet were made in the book.

He also admitted that they looted the Brac office at Bhulta in Narayanganj in 2004.

He said bombs were blasted on the Judge Court, bus stand and press club premises in Comilla under his leadership on August 17 last year. Sunny sent nine bombs through SA Paribahan to carry out the attack, Shaon confessed.

Shaon passed BSc in 1999 and joined a madrasa in Joypurhat as a teacher. He said he left the job in 2001 after the JMB invited him to "jihad". He came to know all seven Majlish-e-Shura members of the JMB.