Police are hunting for one Rajib Gandhi alias Subhash Gandhi alias ‘Gandhi’ who is believed to have had a prominent role in the deadly Gulshan and Sholakia terrorist attacks.
The DMP’s counterterrorism unit chief Monirul Islam on Monday said police are yet to find the real name of the terrorist they are after.
He said his name surfaced during investigations and he is known to have served the JMB as the commander of the outfit for the North.
Speaking to journalists at the DMP office at the capital, Monirul said, “He sent two terrorists prior to the Gulshan attack and one terrorist prior to the Sholakia attack from North Bengal, all of whom he had personally trained.”
He said they have received information about two more terrorists — ‘Ripon’ and ‘Khalid’ who are known to have fled to India following the April murder of Rajshahi University Professor AKM Rejaul Karim Siddiqui.
“Ripon and Khalid are in India…we’ve received such information…we have no input about their return to the country”, he said.
Replying to a question, Monirul said investigating agencies believe that Rajib Gandhi is in the country.
“Our operation is on. We are trying to arrest him”, he said.
Bigger picture
When asked about the status of the investigation, Monirul said they had obtained a “larger picture” when they started the investigation into the Gulshan attack.
“At different times we have said we have been able to identify those who had entered the Holey Artisan Bakery and those behind them. Once we started the investigation, we realised that many of them had been killed in various operations, or had been arrested, or are waiting to be arrested. Our operation is on.”
Monirul Islam. File Photo.
Twenty-two people including 17 foreigners lost their lives when militants mounted an unprecedented attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan on the night of July 1.
The next morning’s military operation led to the killing of five terrorists while 13 hostages were rescued alive.
Terrorists struck again within a week on July 7, this time on the largest Eid-ul-Fitr congregation in Sholakia.
Two police guards posted at the security gate died while thwarting their attempts.
In the ensuing gun battle between police and the terrorists, a local woman fell to bullets while a suspected terrorist was also killed.
Monirul said that investigations in terror hideouts in Kalyanpur, Narayanganj, Roopnagar and Azimpur following the two attacks, revealed that arrested terrorists had links with the ones who had been killed.
“Like Raihan Kabir alias Tarek in Kalyanpur. He was the training coordinator for the Gulshan, Sholakia attackers in Gaibandha. It is there we got the lead about the so-called Major Murad who was the chief trainer. Major Murad (retired major Jahidul Islam) who died in Roopnagar was the same person. These are not non-related incidents,” he said.
“And we have always been speaking about Tamim who was killed during the Narayanganj operation. He has been the coordinator of everything; he had rented a room for the Gulshan attackers in Basundhara. His real name is Tanvir Qaderi, he was also killed in the Azimpur raid.
Monirul added that police are on the lookout for JMB leader Nurul Islam Marjan and Basaruzzaman alias Chocolate.
They had also played leading roles in the Gulshan attack, Monirul said.
Police unsure
Police had identified five of the six dead following the Gulshan attack as terrorists.
The sixth dead was identified as Saiful Islam Chowkider, an employee of the cafe.
A combination photo of an elderly woman holding a mobile phone displaying the picture of Saiful Islam Chowkider, wearing a chef’s attire, and the dead attacker’s picture has appeared on Facebook.
Although his family have been maintaining that he was not a terrorist, police have named him as a suspect in the case that was started following the attack.
Asked whether police have obtained proof of Saiful’s involvement in the attack, Monirul said they are yet to be sure about it.
“We cannot say he was not involved at all. That he had some role to play in the attack also cannot be disclosed now, the time has not come. The matter is under investigation,” he said.
Another youth, Zakir Hossain Shaon, all covered in blood, was arrested within hours of the attack on Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Bakery.
He served as the cook’s helper at the upscale eatery.
He died in the hospital a week later where he was receiving treatment for his injuries.
Monirul said the police had found no conclusive evidence of his involvement in the attack.
“70% might destroyed”
Monirul claimed the Neo-JMB, which had been responsible for the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks, had invested their full force and all their top leaders to execute the attack.
“Many of these people have been killed,” he said. “Four such commanders died during the Kalyanpur raid. Then Major Jahid Tanvir Qaderi. They were also prominent leaders (of the outfit)”.
With the death of some of their top brass the JMB has lost “60-70 percent of its strength”, the anti-terror unit chief said.
But, the outfit has not yet been destroyed entirely, he said. Marjan, Rajib and others are still at large.
“We are on the guard to prevent any fresh strike by them and we are also trying to arrest them,” he said.
Three ‘women terrorists’ identified
Monirul also said they are now sure that three women injured in the Azimpur operation are terrorists.
Abedatul Fatema and Sharmin alias Shayla Afrin are the wives of Tanvir Qaderi who was killed during the same raid and JMB leader Basaruzzaman alias Chocolate respectively.
The third, Afrin alias Priyoti is the wife of another terrorist leader, police said.
After the Sep 10 operation at a terror hideout in Azimpur, police had said the three women had attacked the police team with chilli powder and knives.
Among them, one was injured by bullets, while the others tried to commit suicide with the knives, police had maintained.
The trio is getting treated at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and the police have not yet been able to talk to them, Monirul said, replying to a question.
Among the three children taken custody of during the raid, Major Jahid’s have been sent to the care of their paternal grandparents.
Tanvir’s child was remanded on Sunday by the Juvenile Court to facilitate interrogation.
Monirul said, “We are interrogating him as a child should be. We are just trying to get the information he has.”
Source: Bd news24
