Detectives come up with new theories on Hossaini Dalan blast, police checkpost attacks, Khijir murder
A faction of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was involved in recent attacks on Hossaini Dalan and police checkpoints at Gabtoli and Ashulia, detectives claimed yesterday.
The banned militant outfit became inactive amid leadership dispute following the executions of its chief Shaekh Abdur Rahman and some other organisers.
The faction came into being towards the end of last year or early this year after inclusion of some operatives from Islami Chhatra Shibir and different other radical Islamist organisations.
The faction’s operations commander, Albani alias Hozza Bhai alias Member Bhai alias Shahadat alias Mahfuz, who was killed in a “shootout” with detectives late Wednesday night, had planned and executed the Hossaini Dalan blast and attacks on the two checkpoints.
Shahadat also led the Ashulia bank heist on April 21, Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam of DMP’s Detective Branch told a press briefing yesterday.
But on May 31, Dhaka Superintendent of Police Habibur Rahman at a media briefing claimed to have arrested the Ashulia bank heist mastermind, identified as Mahfuzul Islam Shamim alias Suman, an operative of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team.
Mahfuzul Islam is still in jail.
On October 15, detectives claimed that JMB leader Tariqul Islam Tareque murdered Khijir for religious and ideological differences.
Tareque was arrested in Tangail on Wednesday.
Replying to a query after the briefing yesterday, Monir said DB’s version on Khijir murder changed as investigators found that Shahadat slew Khijir while Tareque held him tight.
After the Ashulia checkpoint attack, Shahadat sought water from a witness who saw sores on both of his hands, Monirul said. The hands of dead Shahadat also had sores, he added.
Visiting Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue, a reporter of The Daily Star found both the hands of Shahadat swollen. There were also marks of scab on the wrists.
Detectives came up with the latest versions following the arrest of Tareque and four other suspected JMB men from different areas in the capital on Wednesday.
Of the arrestees, Kabir Hossain alias Rashed alias Ashique, who took part in the Hossaini Dalan blast, is trained in suicide bombing.
Three others are Chan Mia, Omar Faruque alias Manik, Shah Jalal and Hafez Ahsan Ullah Mahmud. A Dhaka court yesterday placed the five on five-day remand each.
During the arrest, police recovered a pistol, which detectives believed was used in Ashulia Checkpoint attack, a motorcycle and a guerrilla knife from their possession.
Chan Mia, a skilled driver, took part in the Trishal prison van ambush on February 23 last year. He waylaid the van with a truck during an operation to free three condemned JMB leaders.
On the Hossaini Dalan blast, Monirul said five JMB men including Shahadat and Rashed took part in it. Shahadat himself threw five grenades, three of which exploded, killing two — Sajjad Hossain Saju and Jamal Uddin.
Regarding the Ashulia checkpoint incident in which constable Mukul Hossain was killed, Monirul said Shahadat led the attacks there to destroy policemen’s morale and create anarchy.
Source: The Daily Star
