Trainer of female JMB unit, 4 aides arrested
Rapid Action Battalion arrested an alleged trainer of the female unit of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and four of his accomplices in Gazipur early yesterday.
The trainer, Rasheduzzaman Rose, 30, is also the acting ameer of the banned militant outfit's southern region, claimed the elite force, adding that he graduated in Economics from a Canadian university in 2012.
The other arrestees are: Shahabuddin alias Rocky alias Shibhab, 23, Abdul Hai, 36, Firoj Ahmed Sheikh alias Ansar, 27, and Saiful Islam, 29.
Maj Azam, deputy commander of Rab-1, said they made the arrests based on information gleaned from arrested “JMB's southern region commander” Mahmud Hasan Tanveer and the “outfit's female unit leader” Aklima Rahman.
He said they had information that some JMB members would come to the capital from Gazipur to collect some “equipment” and to carry out subversive activities.
A Rab team arrested Rasheduzzaman, Shahabuddin and Hai raiding a shop and a library in Pashionroad area of Tongi around 12:30am. It also recovered a foreign pistol, two bullets, a magazine, two knives and jihadi books from their possession, according to a press release of Rab.
Later around 5:00am, Firoj and Saiful were arrested from Hazirpukur area of Gazipur in another raid. A pistol, six bullets, a laptop, two magazines, three crude bombs, two machetes, 12 knives and bomb-making materials were also seized, added the release.
JMB “trainer” Rasheduzzaman, who graduated from Saint Mary's University in Canada, returned recently, Maj Azam told our Gazipur correspondent.
According to Rab sources, Rasheduzzaman became the acting ameer of JMB's southern region after the arrest of ameer Mahmudul Hasan.
Rasheduzzaman, who is from Halidani Bazar area of Jhenaidah Sadar, enrolled in a private university in the capital on completion of his HSC examinations in 2003. He, however, went to Canada for studies only after two semesters.
He probably got radicalised in that country, said sources, adding that he had met several of his friends from Syria and Middle East there.
On his return to Bangladesh, he opened a small fuel shop in his village. Later, he somehow met Hai who introduced him to Mahmudul.
Rab sources also claimed to have found some “disturbing and violent” videos in his laptop. It is being suspected that he used those while training new JMB recruits.
Arrested Shahabuddin, of Ghoraghat upazila in Dinajpur, was an associate of one of the Sholakia attackers, Shafiul, and they took part in several “missions” together, claimed Rab. Shahabuddin is also a “member of the suicide squad of JMB”, it said.
Meanwhile, police claimed to have arrested two more JMB members in Kalihati upazila of Tangail on Tuesday night and early yesterday, reports out Tangail correspondent.
The arrestees are Mohammad Jewel Miah alias Omar Faruk, 26, of Brammanbari village at Madhupur upazila in Tangail, and Abu Sayeed alias Sabuj, 24, of Bagra Colony at Sherpur upazila in Bogra.
Mahbub Alam, superintendent of police in Tangail, said acting on a tip-off, a team of the Detective Branch (DB) of police, arrested “JMB cadre” Jewel at Elenga Bus Stand area in Kalihati around 8:00pm on Tuesday.
As per his information, the law enforcers raided a house in Bollovbari village in the same upazila around 2:00am yesterday and arrested Sayeed, he said.
Police also claimed to have recovered a huge amount of bomb-making materials, hand-written formulas for making explosives and a machete from Sayeed.
During preliminary interrogation, the “JMB members” said one Moslem alias Sohel of Gopalpur upazila of the district was their leader, the SP said, adding that they were continuing raids to arrest Moslem.
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