Staff Reporter :
Police detained early Monday eight members of a family, including a primary school teacher, from a house believed to be used by militants as a hideout at Dangarpara village in Tanore upazila of Rajshahi district.
The detainees are house owner Ramjan Ali, 55, his wife Ayesha Bibi, their elder son Ibrahim Hossain, 26, and his wife Morjina, younger son Israfil Alam, 24, and his spouse Haresa Khatun, Ramjan’s daughter Hawa Begum, 20, and her husband Rabiul Islam, 27.
Ramjan teaches at Gourangipur Government Primary School, Ibrahim is a fertiliser trader, Israfil a homeopathic doctor and Rabiul a carpenter.
Four children of the family were also rescued and taken into police custody after the Sunday midnight raid. They are Ibrahim’s three daughters – Tamanna, 8, Taskira, 4, and seven-month-old Tanshira – and Rabiul’s three-month-old daughter.
Two suicide vests, a pistol and some bullets were recovered from the house which had been raided and cordoned off since Sunday night, based on information from Detective Branch of Police of Bogra.
Rajshahi’s Additional Police Superintendent Sumit Chowdhury said, “The law enforcers cordoned off the house of Ramjan Ali at Dangapara village under Pachandar Union around 11:00pm last night following information that Ramjan and his family members were involved in militancy and had huge powerful explosives inside the house.” “Ibrahim runs a fertiliser and insecticide selling outside of his home. Israfil farms. Their brother-in-law Rabiul lives in neigbouring Choikpara village. He is a carpenter. Rabiul has been staying at his father-in-law’s house for a few months since the birth of his newborn child,” the police official said.
“Two suicide vests, a pistol with five rounds of ammunition and a magazine have been recovered,” he added.
Tanore Police Station’s Sub-Inspector Rayhan Ali said, “We suspected there could be a stockpile of suicidal vests and explosives in the house. We are thoroughly searching the house.”
Ramzan and his family have been fasting and holding Eid celebrations according to Saudi Arabia’s schedule for the past ten to twelve years, said Monjurul Islam, member of Ward No. 8, Pachanda Union Parishad.
“This year they also began fasting a day early, in keeping with Saudi Arabia’s schedule. Last year Ramzan Ali and his wife Ayesha went for Hajj.” The UP member said Ibrahim and Israfil were educated in a madrassa.
