‘Neo JMB bomb factory busted'

Counterterrorism officials claimed to have busted a bomb-making factory and two militant dens of militant outfit "Neo JMB" in Genda area of Savar on Friday night.

Police found a "huge consignment" of bomb-making materials, splinters, seven grenades, four suicide vests and laptops at the hideouts.

“Two militant families living in the dens managed to flee moments before our officials cordoned off the house at 7:00pm on Friday,” Mohibul Islam Khan, deputy commissioner of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), told The Daily Star.

Acting on a tip off, the officials first cordoned off a five storey building in the area, but found the ground floor apartment, suspected of being a militant den, locked from outside, the officer said.

Informed by neighbours that residents of that apartment often visited a nearby six storey building, CTTC officials raided the building and found the "bomb-making factory" on the first floor, he added.

After talking to locals, CTTC was able to bust another "den" in a nearby two storey building.

DMP's bomb disposal experts yesterday diffused the grenades found there, said Sha Migan Shafiur Rahman, superintendent of police in Dhaka.

He added that police evacuated the inhabitants of nearby buildings before diffusing the bombs.

CTTC officials suspect that a group of five men and two women lived at the hideouts and ran the "bomb-making factory".

Residents of the area said the suspected militants rented the three apartments claiming that they would make toiletry products there.

Shakib Ahamed Alok, owner of the six storey building, said he rented out the first floor apartment to a man who identified himself as Moslem of Noakhali and said he and his pregnant wife would live there.

Alok added that he didn't have a copy of Moslem's national identity card.

In another building owned by Helal Uddin, another suspect identifying himself as Kamal rented a six-room apartment. The suspect said he would use it for storing toiletry products, said Lili Begum, a neighbour.

Kamal's cousin Nasim, nephew Ibrahim and sister Nasrin used to live with him on the ground floor apartment of the five storey building, which was found locked from outside, Lili added.

Police said they would find the suspects soon.