Staff Reporter :
Police have claimed to arrest Jahangir Alam alias ‘Rajib Gandhi’ alias ‘Subhash Gandhi’ alias ‘Gandhi who is believed to have had a key role in the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in the city on July 1.
The Counterterrorism and Transnational and Terrorism (CTTC) unit members arrested Ghandi, son of late Maulana Osman Gani Mondol of Gaibandha’s Gobindaganj, from Tangail’s Elenga bus stand around 11:00pm on Friday, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police’ Deputy Commissioner (Media) Masudur Rahman.
Meanwhile, Metropolitan Magistrate Mahmudul Hasan placed him on the remand after CTTC Inspector Humayun Kabir, also investigation officer of the case, produced Gandhi in the court
with a 10-day remand prayer. The CTTC unit Chief Monirul Islam said that Jahangir Alam alias Gandhi, one of the masterminds behind Holey Artisan Bakery attack, was involved in as many as 22 murders across the country.
“He was the commander of neo-JMB’s northern region wing and was involved in the murders of professor Rezaul Karim of Rajshahi University and Freedom Fighter Hossain Ali of Kurigram, among others,” Monirul Islam said this in a press briefing at DMP Media Center in the capital on Saturday.
Gandhi recruited Md Khairul Islam Payel and Md Shafikul Islam Uzzal–the two militants who took part in Holey Artisan Bakery attack, in JMB and sent them to Dhaka to take part in the carnage, the detective official said.
He also lived in the militants’ operational house in Basundhara for a week and prepared the attackers for Gulshan operation. Gandhi also gave training to Shafiul Islam alias Dawn for Sholakia attack and sent him to Tamim.
While answering a question on the whereabouts of other leaders of neo-JMB, the CTTC unit Chief said, “Our operations against other militants including Basaruzzaman Chocolate are going on.”
“Gandhi admitted during initial interrogation that he was directly involved in planning the Gulshan (cafe) attack with Tamim Chowdury and Nurul Islam Marzan,” Monirul Islam said.
He said that information gleaned from Jahangir would play a key role in investigating the recent terror attacks in Bangladesh.
“We are expecting much information from an arrested terrorist, who is said to be one of the masterminds of the Gulshan cafe attack,” he said.
Jahangir had been identified by police as one of the masterminds of the attack on the Gulshan cafe last year along with Tamim Chowdhury, former Bangladesh Army Major Jahidul Islam, Tanvir Qaderi and Nurul Islam Marzan, according to Monirul Islam.
Tamim, Jahidul, Tanvir and Marzan have been killed in raids with security forces in the last few months.
He used to go by several other aliases (name) like ‘Subhas’, ‘Shanto’, ‘Tiger’, ‘Adil’ and ‘Jahid’, said Monirul Islam.
Hailing from Gobindaganj of Gaibandha, Gandhi joined neo-JMB in 2004 and earlier was associated involved with the militant group under the leadership of Shaykh Abdur Rahman.
The JMB drew the limelight by carrying out synchronized bomb explosions in 63 of Bangladesh’s 64 districts in August 2005, months after the government banned the outfit.
Police said that Jahangir worked as the cook of JMB’s Bogra unit chief Abdul Awal in 2005.
Rajib joined Tamim Chowdhury’s New JMB faction in 2011 and rose through the ranks.
“He was lodged in an apartment in the Basundhara Residential Area for a week. He gave the final briefing to the five attackers. Later, he moved to Mirpur,” he said.
It was Jahangir, who had recruited two of the cafe killers — Md Khairul Islam alias Payel alias Badhan and Md Shafiqul Islam Ujjal alias Bikash — and sent them to Dhaka from Gaibandha, said Monirul Islam.
Police said on Saturday that Jahangir is a suspect in 22 cases of murder and attempted murders. That included the killings of a Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi in Rangpur, Hindu tailor in Tangail, Pabna Hindu Ashram inmate Nityaranjan Pandey, homeopath Sanwar Hossain in Kushtia, Panchagarh Hindu priest Jagneshwar Roy and Rajshahi University teacher Rezaul Karim Siddiquee.
Jahangir has already been charged with the March 2016 murder of a 1971 Bangladesh War veteran, who had converted to Christianity.
“He planned killings of 22 people including foreigners, Hindu and Christian priests in several northern districts. The murders include that of Japanese Hoshi Kunio and Rajshahi University Professor Rezaul Karim,” the CTTC chief said.
“Rajib took part in the planning for Gulshan cafe attack and trained attackers Payel and Uzzal. He also trained Sholakia attacker Shafiul Alam and sent him to Tamim,” Monirul added.
Rajib is also the prime accused of killing Kurigram’s freedom fighter Hossain Ali, 65, on March 22 last year. Locals said Ali along with his family members were converted to Christianity from Islam 17 years ago.
Twenty-two people, including 17 foreigners, were killed in an attack on an eatery popular with experts in Dhaka’s Gulshan diplomatic zone on July 1. The Islamic State (IS) claimed the responsibility for the attack.
Police have claimed to arrest Jahangir Alam alias ‘Rajib Gandhi’ alias ‘Subhash Gandhi’ alias ‘Gandhi who is believed to have had a key role in the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery in the city on July 1.
The Counterterrorism and Transnational and Terrorism (CTTC) unit members arrested Ghandi, son of late Maulana Osman Gani Mondol of Gaibandha’s Gobindaganj, from Tangail’s Elenga bus stand around 11:00pm on Friday, said Dhaka Metropolitan Police’ Deputy Commissioner (Media) Masudur Rahman.
Meanwhile, Metropolitan Magistrate Mahmudul Hasan placed him on the remand after CTTC Inspector Humayun Kabir, also investigation officer of the case, produced Gandhi in the court
with a 10-day remand prayer. The CTTC unit Chief Monirul Islam said that Jahangir Alam alias Gandhi, one of the masterminds behind Holey Artisan Bakery attack, was involved in as many as 22 murders across the country.
“He was the commander of neo-JMB’s northern region wing and was involved in the murders of professor Rezaul Karim of Rajshahi University and Freedom Fighter Hossain Ali of Kurigram, among others,” Monirul Islam said this in a press briefing at DMP Media Center in the capital on Saturday.
Gandhi recruited Md Khairul Islam Payel and Md Shafikul Islam Uzzal–the two militants who took part in Holey Artisan Bakery attack, in JMB and sent them to Dhaka to take part in the carnage, the detective official said.
He also lived in the militants’ operational house in Basundhara for a week and prepared the attackers for Gulshan operation. Gandhi also gave training to Shafiul Islam alias Dawn for Sholakia attack and sent him to Tamim.
While answering a question on the whereabouts of other leaders of neo-JMB, the CTTC unit Chief said, “Our operations against other militants including Basaruzzaman Chocolate are going on.”
“Gandhi admitted during initial interrogation that he was directly involved in planning the Gulshan (cafe) attack with Tamim Chowdury and Nurul Islam Marzan,” Monirul Islam said.
He said that information gleaned from Jahangir would play a key role in investigating the recent terror attacks in Bangladesh.
“We are expecting much information from an arrested terrorist, who is said to be one of the masterminds of the Gulshan cafe attack,” he said.
Jahangir had been identified by police as one of the masterminds of the attack on the Gulshan cafe last year along with Tamim Chowdhury, former Bangladesh Army Major Jahidul Islam, Tanvir Qaderi and Nurul Islam Marzan, according to Monirul Islam.
Tamim, Jahidul, Tanvir and Marzan have been killed in raids with security forces in the last few months.
He used to go by several other aliases (name) like ‘Subhas’, ‘Shanto’, ‘Tiger’, ‘Adil’ and ‘Jahid’, said Monirul Islam.
Hailing from Gobindaganj of Gaibandha, Gandhi joined neo-JMB in 2004 and earlier was associated involved with the militant group under the leadership of Shaykh Abdur Rahman.
The JMB drew the limelight by carrying out synchronized bomb explosions in 63 of Bangladesh’s 64 districts in August 2005, months after the government banned the outfit.
Police said that Jahangir worked as the cook of JMB’s Bogra unit chief Abdul Awal in 2005.
Rajib joined Tamim Chowdhury’s New JMB faction in 2011 and rose through the ranks.
“He was lodged in an apartment in the Basundhara Residential Area for a week. He gave the final briefing to the five attackers. Later, he moved to Mirpur,” he said.
It was Jahangir, who had recruited two of the cafe killers — Md Khairul Islam alias Payel alias Badhan and Md Shafiqul Islam Ujjal alias Bikash — and sent them to Dhaka from Gaibandha, said Monirul Islam.
Police said on Saturday that Jahangir is a suspect in 22 cases of murder and attempted murders. That included the killings of a Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi in Rangpur, Hindu tailor in Tangail, Pabna Hindu Ashram inmate Nityaranjan Pandey, homeopath Sanwar Hossain in Kushtia, Panchagarh Hindu priest Jagneshwar Roy and Rajshahi University teacher Rezaul Karim Siddiquee.
Jahangir has already been charged with the March 2016 murder of a 1971 Bangladesh War veteran, who had converted to Christianity.
“He planned killings of 22 people including foreigners, Hindu and Christian priests in several northern districts. The murders include that of Japanese Hoshi Kunio and Rajshahi University Professor Rezaul Karim,” the CTTC chief said.
“Rajib took part in the planning for Gulshan cafe attack and trained attackers Payel and Uzzal. He also trained Sholakia attacker Shafiul Alam and sent him to Tamim,” Monirul added.
Rajib is also the prime accused of killing Kurigram’s freedom fighter Hossain Ali, 65, on March 22 last year. Locals said Ali along with his family members were converted to Christianity from Islam 17 years ago.
Twenty-two people, including 17 foreigners, were killed in an attack on an eatery popular with experts in Dhaka’s Gulshan diplomatic zone on July 1. The Islamic State (IS) claimed the responsibility for the attack.
