The identity of Marjan identified by the Counter-terrorism and Transnational Crime unit as an operational commander of Gulshan Terror attack was revealed yesterday
Marjan comes from Afuria village under Hemayetpur union in Pabna. Local identified him as Nurul Islam Marjan. He is the second son of Nizamuddin and Salma Khatun’s 10 children.
Family members said Marjan completed his Alim degree from Pabna Alia Madrasa and then got himself admitted into the Arabic department of Chittagong University (CU) in 2014. He is a second-year student there.
Mohammad Islami Chowdhury, chairman of the Arabic and Islamic Studies Department of the CU, however said they were yet to verify his identity.
According to family, Marjan married his cousin Priyoti a year back, who used to live in Kaliakoir area of Pabna.
Nearly seven to eight months back Marjan came home with his wife and after they left they had had no contact with him, said Nizamuddin, father of Marjan.
The Dhaka Tribune correspondent yesterday visited Marjan’s house and found an extremely strict Muslim family. Marjan’s family members never allow any outsider. They even do not have any cell phone.
The family members said they had seen Marjan’s picture in newspapers.
Local people said the family was basically isolated in the village and they would not like to meet other people. Marjan was seen to offer prayer in local mosques but would not like to stay outside his house for long. He doesn’t have any friends in the village.
Dulal Uddin, member of Hamayetpur Union Council, said they had no bad report against Marjan in the locality. “We knew him as good a student,” said Dulal.
Confirming the identity of Marjan, Police Super Alamgir Kabir of Pabna district told the Dhaka Tribune that they were interrogating Marjan’s family members.
As per the latest information, Marjan’s father was taken to district police detective branch custody for interrogation.
In this regard, Abdul Mannan, additional deputy commissioner of the Counter Terrorism, said a team of the unit had already been sent to Pabna.
According to an investigator, Marjan is the youngest military commander of the new JMB. He also has connection with a number of top leaders of the outfit. Marjan has expertise in operating heavy arms.
A high-placed source of an investigating agency, told the Dhaka Tribune that Marjan stayed in the militant den of Gobindaganj in Gaibandha for a long period.
Marjan reportedly gave motivational training to seven militants in the den while staying in Gaibandha. Of the seven, five took part in the in Gulshan terror attack.
Sanowar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of the Counter Terrorism Unit, said they had had information on Marjan.
Investigators said his organisational name is Chocolate. Marjan was brought in to Dhaka in the beginning of the Ramadan.
Apart from staying in Gaibandha, Marjan has visited a number of militant dens in North Bengal.
A source investigating into the Gulshan attack earlier said Majran is one of the close associates of new JMB leader Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury. The Gulshan attackers sent updates and photos of the restaurant massacre to an ID by using a “protected text”.
Marjan had the password of the ID and he opened it and then sent the photos to the mastermind and planner.
Monirul Islam, chief of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit, said they had got photograph of Marjan while conducting investigation into the Gulshan attack and interrogating previous arrested militants they came to know about his involvement in the Gulshan attack.
Source: Dhaka Tribune