Staff Reporter :
Three members of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were killed in a raid at their hideout at Char Alatuli, close to the Indian border under Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila on Tuesday morning.
A 10-hour long raid around the lone house situated in the middle of a vast Char, under Madhyachar village, ended around 1:00pm, said our local correspondent quoting law enforcement agencies.
According to RAB officials, three improvised explosive devices (IEDs), seven detonators, 12 explosive gel packs and two pistols were found in the house. A team of bomb disposal unit personnel swept the area and defused two bombs.
The elite force personnel also taken into custody three people-house owner Rashikul, 40, his wife Nazma, 38, and father-in-law Khorshed Alam, 55, — from Sabdipur area in Godagari upazila of Rajshahi district for interrogation in this connection, said Mufti Mahmud Khan, Legal and Media Wing Director of the RAB.
“We are yet to ascertain the identity of the deceased. But we believe they are active members of banned outfit JMB,” he said.
A team of RAB from Rajshahi besieged a house in the area around 3:00am suspecting it a militant den responding to a secret tip-off and asked the inmates of the house to surrender. But the suspected militants opened fire and lobbed grenade towards the elite force personnel, prompting them to retaliate, said Lt Col Mahbubul Alam, Commanding Officer of RAB-5.
During exchanging of fire, several bombs were blown up frequently around 5:00am at the den, he said, adding the security operation was launched around 7:00am after a team of bomb disposal unit from Rajshahi reached the spot.
Three dead bodies were recovered along with improvised bombs and bomb-making materials after the raid, according to him.
After a prolonged, intermittent gunfight there were three explosions inside the house and it caught fire. The fire burned until 6:30am.
The law enforcers handed have over the bodies to Godagari Police Station.
A case is likely to be filed at Chapainawabganj Sadar Police Station in this connection.
Alam said that they planned the raid after receiving information from militants held during raids in Mirpur and Chapainawabganj.
Meanwhile, RAB Additional Director General (Operation) Col Md Anwar Latif Khan went to the scene by helicopter and said the structure had burned down in the fire by the morning, leaving only a few bamboo poles standing.
There were no other residences within a kilometre and a half of the house, he said.
Alatali Union Ward-5 member Mizbahul Haq said the homeowner is a farmer who lives in Godagari. He came to Alatali about four years ago and built the house.
“A few months ago, several men rented the house, saying they would run an NGO. People would come and go regularly. We did not know any of them.”
