Sagar Biswas :The investigators claimed that most of the militants involved in the Gulshan terror attack, directly and indirectly, have already been identified. Even, those involved in rekeying the spot before attack have also been traced. All the culprits would be netted soon. “We’ve caught 12 persons who were involved in the Gulshan attack. Some of them were directly involved, some of them were co-workers. They are all members of local terrorist outfits. Majority of them came from affluent families,” an official of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit [CTTCU] said yesterday preferring to remain anonymous.”We’ve traced some other culprits after going through their facebook accounts and other communicating apps. They have been missing for several months. Of them, two are top leaders of two local militant outfits,” he said. Sources said, the investigators have analyzed video footage that seized from 109 close-circuit cameras installed across the diplomatic enclave. After analyzing, movement of five militants was seen in four cameras installed at road no-79. It is learnt that there are 542 active close-circuit-cameras at Gulshan, Banani, Baridhara and Niketan areas. The investigators have collected footage from all of them and intensively scrutinized the scenarios recorded from 7:45pm to 8:45pm on the fateful night. Besides, the investigators seized several evidences, including 30 mobile sets, which are now undergoing analysis through forensic, cyber and manual processes.Suspected militant Shaon succumbed to his injuries while he was being interrogated. Two others, Zakirul Islam and Nazrul Islam, are still undergoing treatment. Teacher of North South University Hasnat Karim and another one Tahmid Habib Khan are now on suspected list. Several others are still under watch. Two students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Leading University, Abdul Aziz and Mahmudul Karim, have been arrested in connection with militancy, sources said. Meanwhile, forensic experts have collected blood and hair samples from the militants’ bodies, killed on July 1 army commando operation at Holey Artisan Bakery in the city’s Gulshan area, to confirm whether they took any intoxicating drugs like IS [Islamic State] operatives.A team of Forensic Department of Dhaka Medical College and Hospital [DMCH] on Wednesday went to Combined Military Hospital [CMH] in Dhaka to collect the samples. As per requisition of Federal Bureau of Investigation [FBI], the samples would be sent to United States of America for laboratory test, officials said.At first, the samples would be sent to CTTCU for transporting them to FBI. It was the second time; the forensic experts have collected body samples for laboratory test. Earlier, the forensic experts had collected blood, teeth and flesh from the thigh during post mortem for the same reason. “This time, the FBI experts have given us some conditions. They asked us to collect 10mm blood from each body near the heart and 10mm from the hands and legs,” Dr Sohel Mahud, Assistant Professor, Forensic Department, DMCH, said yesterday.”Besides, 10 hairs will be collected from front portion and 10 each from right and left sides of the head,” he said, adding, “First time, we took 5mm blood. Now, the investigating authorities want 20mm blood and other samples,” he said.According to the experts, the militants usually take “Captagon pills” to stay alert and energetic, which ultimately makes them ferocious and brute. There is widespread speculation that, the Gulshan attackers had taken the said amphetamine drug that is used in huge amounts by ISIS fighters. Recently, Syria has become main source of Captagon, which is also smuggled to other middle-eastern countries to the Islamic militants. This drug keeps the addict awake for many days and also brings a feeling that he is undefeated, the experts said.In her speech delivered in the national parliament, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday said a special team was formed to investigate the terror attacks in Gulshan and Sholakia.”We didn’t take the matter lightly. I have formed a special team to investigate into the incidents. Members of most of the forces were included in the team,” the PM said.Meanwhile, the bodies of six attackers of Gulshan carnage have been kept in the CMH mortuary as their family members did not receive those till the date. Of them, five have been identified as operatives of Jama’atul Mujahedin Bangladesh. Police said, another one Saiful Chowkidar, a cook of the café, allegedly had helped the militants to accomplish the mission. All the six were indicted in the case which was filed with the Gulshan police station after the attack. On the other hand, bodies of 17 foreigners killed in the attack have already been sent to their home countries. The bodies of five Bangladeshis have also been transferred to their families.
