Sagar Biswas :Intelligence agencies are apprehending fresh massive terror attacks in the country at key point installations or crowded places like super market and public gatherings before or after Eid-ul-Fitr. Taking the threat under consideration, the Police Headquarters have issued high alert across the country and brought all the important establishments under additional security arrangement, officials said on Monday. Top officials of Police, RAB and other intelligence agencies, including National Security Intelligence [NSI], recently sat in a meeting over the issue at Police Headquarters in the city. In the meeting, the Intelligence Officials informed that the militants could launch attacks even at railway station, launch and bus terminals before and after Eid. Especially, a twitter message has drawn attention of security officials where one Kamil Ahmed on July 4 posted: ‘next attack Jamuna Future Park, mission July 20.’ It is now viral on social media networks, including facebook. Director General of Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] Benjir Ahmed said: “I do urge the people to come to Eidgah maidan and offer their prayers without any fear. The security has been tightened at National Eidgah maidan.” “The terrorists will not get such a scope at Eidgah maidan in which way they conducted attack at Gulshan dodging the security surveillance… The Gulshan attack was certainly a most awful deed,” the RAB Chief said. Meanwhile, the members of Counter Terrorism and Transitional Crimes unit conducted a search at Banani residence of North South University teacher Engineer Hasnat Karim on Monday afternoon. Hasnat, who was a hostage at Holey Artisan Bakery and released just before the army commando operation, was taken into the custody in the morning for interrogation, sources said. “Hasnat is under police custody along with his wife. He was in the restaurant on the night of attack and rescued on Saturday. At first, he was sent to Combined Military Hospital. Later, he was taken to Detective branch office,” Deputy Commissioner of DMP Masudur Rahman said. In a video taken by a Korean national and loaded in facebook, it was seen that Hasnat along with his wife and children was present at the café at that time. The video also revealed that movement of Hasnat, wearing denim and t-shirt, was highly suspicious. He was seen several times with the militants on the roof and main gate of restaurant. In this backdrop, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Haque said: “Different agencies have started investigation into the incident. Already two persons are under police custody. They are sick. They will be quizzed soon after their recovery.” Refuting the allegation of delaying anti-militant operation, the IGP said: “There was no delay. Different countries have faced such situations and they took 4/5 days to rescue the hostages. In that case, we’ve rescued the hostages within 12 hours… The militants tried to escape the scene after slaughtering 20 people within 20 minutes.” On the other hand, explaining the reason behind the delay to start operation, Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner [DMP] Asaduzzaman Mia yesterday said: “The police and RAB were prepared to conduct operation. But it was delayed for not getting clearance from the government high ups.” In the meanwhile, Prime Minister’s political advisor HT Imam on Monday told NDTV that Friday night’s attack was likely enabled by Pakistan’s powerful ISI [Inter Service Intelligence] or military spy agency. “Pakistan’s ISI and Jamaat connection is well known… They want to derail the current government… The manner in which the hostages were killed with machete suggests the role of a local terrorist group, the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh [JMB].” Echoing the same, Awami League advisory council member Suranjit Sengupta yesterday said that Pakistan and Jamaat-e Islami are linked with the Gulshan terror attack. “The attack was launched to make Bangladesh an ineffective country.” Quoting a high Bangladeshi security official, The Indian Express yesterday reported that an Indian intelligence agency had informed about possible militant attack during information exchange between the two countries two months ago. At that time, the Indian side also gave proof about training of Bangladeshi militants in the soil of India.
