Radicalised by relatives
Slain militant leader Nurul Islam Marzan, who played the role of operational commander in the Gulshan café attack, was indoctrinated into radical beliefs by his relatives.
The 22-year-old youth got involved in militancy through his uncle Sohel Mahfuz and brother-in-law Hasidur Rahman Sagor, according to counterterrorism officials.
Sohel is a former member of Majlis-e-Shura of mainstream JMB and Sagor is an ex-leader of the banned militant outfit.
The duo still at large are suspected to have played an important part in supplying grenades and firearms to “Neo JMB” for carrying out the July 1 attack, they said.
“We suspect that Sagor and Sohel are hiding in border areas and our officials are trying to hunt them down,” Ahmedul Islam, assistant commissioner of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Unit, told The Daily Star yesterday.
Sohel is an explosives trainer of the “Neo JMB”, which drew in many JMB leaders and activists frustrated over the leadership row after the execution of JMB's founding chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman in 2007.
Following the JMB chief's execution, it was believed that he would take the helm of the outfit, investigators said.
Marzan, who was born in Pabna's Afuria village, was slowly indoctrinated into radical beliefs by Sohel and Sagor after he had passed Dakhil examinations from Darul Ulum Markazia Madrasa in 2010.
He passed Alim exams from Arifpur Fazil Madrasa in Pabna two years later.
Later, Marzan got admitted to the Arabic department at Chittagong University. He was attached to Suhrawardy Hall but never stayed there. He joined Islami Chhatra Shibir at the initial days of his university life.
Marzan later joined “Neo JMB” along with Sagor and Sohel. He quickly became an important leader of the militant outfit for his dedication, fluency in English and Arabic, and his skills in information and communication technology.
He became a trusted aide to Bangladeshi-Canadian Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, top coordinator of “Neo JMB”, and started dealing with foreign financiers of the outfit, according to investigators.
“Marzan used to receive all kinds of arms and explosives shipments sent by Sagor and Sohel from India,” said a high official of the CTTC unit, seeking anonymity.
Following the deaths of Tamim and several other key leaders, including Maj (retd) Zahid in different raids, the leadership of “Neo JMB's” operations wing went to Marzan, said investigators.
He was believed to be the youngest operations commander of the outfit, they said.
“Marzan was Tamim's second-in-command, and he coordinated the Gulshan café attack,” Monirul Islam, chief of the CTTC unit of police, told the Daily Star.
He married his cousin Afrin Akhter alias Prioti in January, 2015.
SADDAM CONTROLLED “NEO JMB” IN NORTH
Marzan's accomplice Saddam Hossain used to control “Neo JMB” in the country's northern region. He was accused in 10 murder cases, and charges were pressed against him in five of those, said Monirul.
Son of Pachu Alam and Jobeda Khatun, Saddam was born at Bidyananda village of Kurigram's Rajarhat.
He was charged with the murders of Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi, priest Jogeshwar Das Adikari in Panchagarh, Rahamat Ali Khadem and Bahai Ruhul Amin in Rangpur and Hossain Ali in Kurigram.
Saddam was also an accused in the cases over the killings of doctor Dipti, Rabbi, and Tarun Datta in Gaibandha, and attempted murder of Karbala's Khadem in Nilphamari and doctor Birnodro in Dinajpur, said Monirul.
Investigators said at least three dozen “Neo JMB” leaders and activists have been killed since the Gulshan attack.
Some of the absconding “Neo JMB” leaders are its IT in-charge Basharuzzaman alias Abul Bashar, trainer Jahangir alias Rajib Gandhi, Sohel Mahfuz, Ripon, Khalid, “big brother” Junayed Hasan Khan, Iqbal, Manik, Mamun, Azadul Kabiraz and Maynul Islam Musa.
Between September 2015 and August last year, global terror outfit Islamic State claimed responsibility for 26 attacks in Bangladesh. At least 45 people were killed in the attacks.
The government, however, has all along said those are acts of home-grown militants.
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