A suspected motorcyclist militant carrying bombs was gunned down as he tried to attack members of the crime-busting Rapid Action Battalion’s check post at Khilgaon in the city early Saturday morning.
At least two RAB personnel received injuries in the incident that took place just 20 hours after a suspected suicide bomber was killed at the proposed RAB Headquarters in city’s Ashkona area on Friday afternoon. “The motorcyclist, who was carrying explosives and a bag, died on the spot at around 4.30am,” RAB Legal and Media Wing Director Mufti Mahmud Khan told journalists at a link road to Nandipara of Khilgaon.
One improvised explosive device was recovered from the bag and several bombs were tied to a vest on his body, the RAB official said.
Other RAB men, who were on the spot, claimed that riding motorcycle, the suspected bomb-carrying criminal had tried to launch suicide bomb attack at the check post.
“When he tried to go through the check post, the on-duty RAB personnel asked him to stop but did pay any heed to the law enforcers. Sensing danger, our force opened fire leaving the suspected militant dead on the spot,” said Mufti Mahmud Khan.
He said the identity of the dead miscreant could not be ascertained immediately.
“The suspected militant’s body bore more than seven bullet wounds,” the RAB official said.
He said the members of the law enforcement agencies cordoned off the area, while a bomb disposal unit of RAB is examining the devices found in the bag of the killed miscreant.
Talking to journalists ASM Shakhawat Hossain, Operational Officer of RAB-3, said a bag containing two bombs left abandoned beside the body. A bomb disposal unit now on the spot was trying to defuse the bombs till filing of this report yesterday evening.
“The motorcycle doesn’t have number plate,” he said, adding the law enforcers cordoned off the area.
Talking to journalists, officials of Criminal Investigation Department said they have collected DNA samples from the body for confirming his identity.
“We have also collected some evidences from the spot and helped police in sending the body to the Khilgaon Police Station,” the official said.
Meanwhile, a case has been filed with Airport Police Station in connection with Friday’s suicide bomb explosion at a barrack of RAB at Ashkona in the city that killed the attacker.
Rasheduzzaman, Sub-Inspector of the Police station, filed the case on Friday night against the suicide attacker and seven unnamed men, said Azaz Shafi, inspector (Investigation) of the Police station.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Asaduzzaman Miah on Saturday termed the recent militant attacks as not stray incident.
“We had obtained information earlier about the latest militant attacks. These attacks are not stray incident. There is a political motive behind the attack. A vested quarter at home and abroad is trying to destabilise the country in order to thwart the country’s development,” the DMP Chief told journalists after attending at a function at Sufia Kamal Complex at Dhanmondi in the city.
Asaduzzaman Miah claimed that the members of law enforcing agencies know the connections and contacts of the militants.
Meanwhile, a woman on Saturday claimed that the suspected suicide bomber, who blew himself up on Friday at the Ashkona RAB camp in Dhaka, as her son.
The woman, Amiran, went to the RAB camp in the morning and told reporters that her son Rafique remained traceless for the last five days. Hailing from Pirojpur, her son used to work in a tea stall in Dhaka.
Agency adds: the law enforcement agencies have been instructed to eliminate militants, terrorists and the neo-Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh along with their networks with an iron hand in the country, said Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque yesterday.
He said they have already identified masterminds of militants and their networks alongside the neo-JMB (Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh). The law enforcement agencies are working to arrest militants and their close associates, he added.
He said the government has undertaken various measures to ensure security of the common people and foreign nationals, adding, “We have taken special measures for ensuring security in the diplomatic zone.”
Terrorism and militancy have become a global issue but the police are closely working to eliminate extremism and terrorism following the government’s “Zero tolerance” policy against all forms of terrorism and extremism, Hoque added.
Referring to government’s stern actions against militancy and terrorism,the IGP said different quarters are patronizing militancy to weaken the government.
The IGP also made it clear that the law enforcement agencies have not found any evidence of links between the home-grown militants and the IS.
