Staff Reporter :
The chargesheet into the Holey Artisan Bakery attack case in the city’s Gulshan diplomatic enclave is likely to be submitted by the year end with the completion of the extensive investigation.
“We [police] so far have identified 20-22 persons for their direct involvement in the attack. Of them, 14 persons have been killed. We think, there might be a total of 30-35 persons, directly or indirectly linked with the attack,” Head of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTCU) Monirul Islam said on Friday.
A gang of Islamist terrorists attacked the upscale Gulshan restaurant on July 1, 2016 and killed 22 people, mostly foreigners, before they (attackers) were gunned down by the Army commando unit after a 12-hour standoff.
In a major breakthrough, the CTTCU arrested spiritual leader and Ameer of neo-JMB [Jama’atul Mujahedin Bangladesh] Maulana Md Abul Kashem raiding a den at Senpara Parbata area in the city’s Mirpur on Thursday night.
According to CTTCU, arrested Kashem had endorsed the ‘militant operation’ at Holey Artisan Bakery. The CTTCU is now investigating in which tier Maulana Kashem was involved.
Maulana Kashem was known as “Baro Hujur” to his followers. He has written some books on Islami philosophy, and was engaged in philosophical teaching to the neo-JMB cadres, officials concerned said.
“Maulana Syedur Rahman was arrested in 2010. After that, Kashem became head of Neo-JMB [rebel faction of old JMB]. He used to give controversial interpretation about Islam with a view to making the militants ferocious before any attack. As per information available, Kashem had attended a meeting in Rajshahi where JMB’s top ranking slain leader Tamim Chowdhury was also present after his return from Canada in 2013,” Monirul Islam said while talking to the newsmen at DMP Media Centre in the city’s Mintoo Road.
Police came to know about the existence of Kashem after arresting one of the key planners of Gulshan attack Rajib Gandhi alias Zahangir. But police did not find anyone in the address given by Gandhi. Finally, the police got a clear picture about Kashem and acquired some important information when chief of arms-explosive suppliers’ chain [of Gulshan attack] was caught by police, the officials said.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday granted a seven-day remand against Kashem in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Shikder passed the order when investigation officer CTTC Inspector Jahangir Alam produced him in the court with a 10-day remand plea.
It is to be noted that about a dozen of divisional operation leaders and a number of second-tier leaders of neo-JMB have yet not arrested.
The CTTCU officials, however, have claimed that the mysterious Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif, whose name has emerged as the chief of ‘Islamic State’ in Bangladesh, was identified by investigators.
Sanowar Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, recently said: “The investigators have identified Hanif after analyzing statements of different members of Neo-JMB. At first, we thought that Hanif and Tamim Chowdhury were the same person. But after conducting the drive in Tamim’s den in Narayanganj, we came to know that they were different persons.”
He said: We are suspecting that Hanif is hiding in any secret place. But he is nearly powerless in the outfit. He doesn’t make any operational decision.
Officials said the militant outfit Neo-JMB has not been weak as thought though several leaders and members have been killed recently.
The chargesheet into the Holey Artisan Bakery attack case in the city’s Gulshan diplomatic enclave is likely to be submitted by the year end with the completion of the extensive investigation.
“We [police] so far have identified 20-22 persons for their direct involvement in the attack. Of them, 14 persons have been killed. We think, there might be a total of 30-35 persons, directly or indirectly linked with the attack,” Head of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTCU) Monirul Islam said on Friday.
A gang of Islamist terrorists attacked the upscale Gulshan restaurant on July 1, 2016 and killed 22 people, mostly foreigners, before they (attackers) were gunned down by the Army commando unit after a 12-hour standoff.
In a major breakthrough, the CTTCU arrested spiritual leader and Ameer of neo-JMB [Jama’atul Mujahedin Bangladesh] Maulana Md Abul Kashem raiding a den at Senpara Parbata area in the city’s Mirpur on Thursday night.
According to CTTCU, arrested Kashem had endorsed the ‘militant operation’ at Holey Artisan Bakery. The CTTCU is now investigating in which tier Maulana Kashem was involved.
Maulana Kashem was known as “Baro Hujur” to his followers. He has written some books on Islami philosophy, and was engaged in philosophical teaching to the neo-JMB cadres, officials concerned said.
“Maulana Syedur Rahman was arrested in 2010. After that, Kashem became head of Neo-JMB [rebel faction of old JMB]. He used to give controversial interpretation about Islam with a view to making the militants ferocious before any attack. As per information available, Kashem had attended a meeting in Rajshahi where JMB’s top ranking slain leader Tamim Chowdhury was also present after his return from Canada in 2013,” Monirul Islam said while talking to the newsmen at DMP Media Centre in the city’s Mintoo Road.
Police came to know about the existence of Kashem after arresting one of the key planners of Gulshan attack Rajib Gandhi alias Zahangir. But police did not find anyone in the address given by Gandhi. Finally, the police got a clear picture about Kashem and acquired some important information when chief of arms-explosive suppliers’ chain [of Gulshan attack] was caught by police, the officials said.
Meanwhile, a Dhaka court yesterday granted a seven-day remand against Kashem in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Shikder passed the order when investigation officer CTTC Inspector Jahangir Alam produced him in the court with a 10-day remand plea.
It is to be noted that about a dozen of divisional operation leaders and a number of second-tier leaders of neo-JMB have yet not arrested.
The CTTCU officials, however, have claimed that the mysterious Abu Ibrahim al-Hanif, whose name has emerged as the chief of ‘Islamic State’ in Bangladesh, was identified by investigators.
Sanowar Hossain, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, recently said: “The investigators have identified Hanif after analyzing statements of different members of Neo-JMB. At first, we thought that Hanif and Tamim Chowdhury were the same person. But after conducting the drive in Tamim’s den in Narayanganj, we came to know that they were different persons.”
He said: We are suspecting that Hanif is hiding in any secret place. But he is nearly powerless in the outfit. He doesn’t make any operational decision.
Officials said the militant outfit Neo-JMB has not been weak as thought though several leaders and members have been killed recently.
