Staff Reporter :
Acting Ameer of the banned Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) along with six other members were arrested from the city’s outskirt Turag area.
Members of Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested them on early hours of Friday from a house in the area, said DMP spokesman Monirul Islam in a press briefing of the DMP on Friday noon.
He said that the arrested militants had a plan to carry out attacks on VVIPs, VIPs and KPIs to draw the attention of Middle East-based militant group– Islamic State (IS). “During primary interrogation, the JMB members told us that they targeted several areas and establishments within the country for launching the attacks,” he said.
According to him, on secret information, a DB team along with members of Lawful Interception Centre (LIC) of the Police Headquarters launched a drive at Ashulia Landing Station under Turag Police Station on Thursday midnight and arrested the JMB militants.
During the drive, the DB police also seized 10 kg gel-like chemical, four bronze idols used for making explosives, some books and leaflets, said the police official.
The arrested JMB members were identified as Abdullah Al Tasnim alias Nahid, 29, Acting Ameer of the JMB, and his associates Nayeem Ali, 28, Sikander Ali, 25, Mahmud Ibne Bashar, 23, Masum Billah, 26, Fuad Hasan, 18, and Ali Ahmed, 24.
Tasnim was an accused in at least 20 cases filed with several police stations charged with criminal offenses including murder and explosions. The newly made ameer was trying to recruit members from several private universities in Dhaka and rejuvenate the organisational activities of the JMB, said Monirul Islam. He added that the fugitive JMB leaders like Sohel Mahfuz, alias Kata Sohel, who is now hiding in India, and several other top leaders are aiding Tasnim. JMB’s former ameer Saidur Rahman, now in jail, and his daughter and son-in-law living in Pakistan are also helping Tasnim, he added.
After the arrest, the seven JMB members have been sued in two cases filed with the Turag Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Later, they were placed before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court and sought permission for further interrogation in custody for 10 days. But the CMM Magistrate Rashed Talikder granted two-day remand for each militant for interrogation. Monirul Islam said that the arrested militants were also trying to rejuvenate the idle JMB members, including attack on important establishments, in the country.
He also said that the militants have opened training centres in Chittagong and Bandarban. “In the primary investigation they said that they were taking training in kung fu and karate. They have females in their groups. They have also formed an assassination group,” he said.
“Some of their men managed new passports and were planning to travel to Iraq and Syria to take part in the ongoing unrest there. So that they can draw attention of the IS to garner support in their favour.”
Replying to a question, he said that the detectives were investigating whether they had any link with the killing of Maulana Nurul Islam Faruqi, Islamic programme presenter on ‘Channel i’ TV channel, who was killed in his East Rajabazar residence on August 27.
Acting Ameer of the banned Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) along with six other members were arrested from the city’s outskirt Turag area.
Members of Detective Branch (DB) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested them on early hours of Friday from a house in the area, said DMP spokesman Monirul Islam in a press briefing of the DMP on Friday noon.
He said that the arrested militants had a plan to carry out attacks on VVIPs, VIPs and KPIs to draw the attention of Middle East-based militant group– Islamic State (IS). “During primary interrogation, the JMB members told us that they targeted several areas and establishments within the country for launching the attacks,” he said.
According to him, on secret information, a DB team along with members of Lawful Interception Centre (LIC) of the Police Headquarters launched a drive at Ashulia Landing Station under Turag Police Station on Thursday midnight and arrested the JMB militants.
During the drive, the DB police also seized 10 kg gel-like chemical, four bronze idols used for making explosives, some books and leaflets, said the police official.
The arrested JMB members were identified as Abdullah Al Tasnim alias Nahid, 29, Acting Ameer of the JMB, and his associates Nayeem Ali, 28, Sikander Ali, 25, Mahmud Ibne Bashar, 23, Masum Billah, 26, Fuad Hasan, 18, and Ali Ahmed, 24.
Tasnim was an accused in at least 20 cases filed with several police stations charged with criminal offenses including murder and explosions. The newly made ameer was trying to recruit members from several private universities in Dhaka and rejuvenate the organisational activities of the JMB, said Monirul Islam. He added that the fugitive JMB leaders like Sohel Mahfuz, alias Kata Sohel, who is now hiding in India, and several other top leaders are aiding Tasnim. JMB’s former ameer Saidur Rahman, now in jail, and his daughter and son-in-law living in Pakistan are also helping Tasnim, he added.
After the arrest, the seven JMB members have been sued in two cases filed with the Turag Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Later, they were placed before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court and sought permission for further interrogation in custody for 10 days. But the CMM Magistrate Rashed Talikder granted two-day remand for each militant for interrogation. Monirul Islam said that the arrested militants were also trying to rejuvenate the idle JMB members, including attack on important establishments, in the country.
He also said that the militants have opened training centres in Chittagong and Bandarban. “In the primary investigation they said that they were taking training in kung fu and karate. They have females in their groups. They have also formed an assassination group,” he said.
“Some of their men managed new passports and were planning to travel to Iraq and Syria to take part in the ongoing unrest there. So that they can draw attention of the IS to garner support in their favour.”
Replying to a question, he said that the detectives were investigating whether they had any link with the killing of Maulana Nurul Islam Faruqi, Islamic programme presenter on ‘Channel i’ TV channel, who was killed in his East Rajabazar residence on August 27.
