Neo-JMB behind recent attacks on police, says DMP

A 5-member cell of Neo Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was behind the recent attacks on law enforcers in the capital.

Two of them named Mishuk Khan Mizan and Farid Uddin Rumi were detained on Monday from Dhaka and Narayanganj respectively. 

Farid is a teacher of Mechanical and Production Engineering in the capital's Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, while Mizan is a final-year engineering student of Narayanganj Polytechnic Institute.

In primary interrogation, the two arrestees confessed to their involvement in the recent attacks on law enforcers, and also disclosed that they were getting prepared for another attack by the end of this month.

Monirul Islam, chief of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), revealed this information at a press briefing in the DMP media centre today.

He also denied any involvement of the middle-east based international terror group Islamic State in the recent attacks on policemen in Dhaka. 

"We don't think they are members of the Islamic State. Though the Islamic State acknowledged its responsibilities over the recent attacks, we think only the new-JMB is responsible for those attacks," he said.

Police have technological evidence of the arrested two Neo-JMB members' direct involvement with improvised explosive device attacks targeting Police near Gulistan on April 29, according to Monirul.

The two individuals arrested on Monday had been shown arrest in that case, he said.

A case has also been filed with Fatullah Police Station in connection with Monday's Narayanganj incident. In a drive on the day, members of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of the DMP destroyed the hideout and arrested two militants from there.

"Investigation is going on in other four cases concerning recent improvised explosive device attacks on policemen," he said adding that they have identified five neo-JMB members thus far and that two of them have already been arrested.

He also informed that the two arrestees along with their cohorts can make the explosives used in the attacks, as they have studied engineering.

Monirul, however, said that the quality of the explosives made by them was very poor. 

 "Today, we have appealed to the court for a 10-day remand for each of the two arrestees," Monirul said.

He also revealed that they were interrogating Rumi's wife Jannatul Foara Anu to find out whether she is involved with militant activities.

During the raid on Monday, police recovered two AK-74 model's toy guns and a toy pistol, three ready improvised explosive devices and a huge amount of explosive materials.

The counter-terrorism unit chief thinks that they used those toy guns for video/photo shooting. "They have an 'Ameer' to whom they have to report all their activities. We have information that the 'Ameer' is also from inside of our country."

According to Monirul, the main motive behind the militants' targeting policemen is that they do not believe in the constitution and laws of the country. "Since the police is a law enforcement agency, they have targeted policemen," he said.

With these attacks, they also tried to spread fear among the common people, he added.

On April 29, three policemen including two constables of the traffic police and a member of community traffic police were injured when a bomb blasted in the capital's Gulistan.

On May 26, two individuals, including a female member of the police, were injured in a bomb blast near a police pickup in Malibagh.

Later on August 31, two policemen were injured when another bomb went off at Science Lab intersection.

Besides, improvised explosive devices were recovered in the capital's Paltan and Khamarbari areas on July 24.