PBI submits charge-sheet accusing three militants

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) yesterday pressed the charge-sheet in a case filed in connection with the sensational five-day anti-militant drive at Atia Mahal in Shibbari area of Sylhet, accusing three militants.

The drive, code-named “Operation Twilight”, went on from January 24 to January 28, 2017, and resulted in deaths of four suspected militants and seven other people including a high official of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab). 

Dewan Abul Hossain, inspector of PBI in Sylhet and the investigation officer of the case, submitted the charge-sheet to Sylhet Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court.

The accused militants are: Jahurul Haque, 25; his wife Arjina Begum, 19; and Mohammad Hasan, 26.

The trio were arrested in connection with several other militancy cases and later shown arrested in this case on January 17 this year, the investigation officer said, adding that they were remanded after being shown arrested.

“Eight militants were listed in the charge-sheet. Among them, four died during the anti-militant drive at Atia Mahal and another one died during an anti-militant drive in Nasirpur area of Moulvibazar. Therefore, we have asked for these five to be excluded from the charge-sheet,” Hossain said.

The investigating officer said, “Lokman Hossain alias Mosharaf Hossain alias Sohel, 38, who died along with his family members in a suicide blast during another anti-militant drive in Nasirpur area of Moulvibazar on March 29, 2017, was a leader of the militant group of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).”

“Among the four other dead militants of Atia Mahal, only two have been identified. They are Monjiara Begum Alias Morjina Begum of Bandarban, and Tamim Ahmed Foraji of Mymensingh,” he said.

“The militant group were positioned in three hideouts in Sylhet and Moulvibazar, and were planning something bigger. We found 60 types of explosive making substances, which were used to build Improvised Explosive Devices and other advanced explosives”.

Bangladesh Army led “Operation Twilight”, at a militant hideout in Sylhet’s Atia Mahal from March 24 to March 28, 2017.

On the evening of March 25, 2017, while the drive was ongoing, two grenades were blasted 400 metres away from Atia Mahal, which claimed seven lives including Rab intelligence chief Lt Col Abul Kalam Azad and two police officers.

Police filed two separate cases, one regarding the militant hideout and another for the twin grenade blast, with Moglabazar Police Station accusing unnamed people after the operation.

Following an order of Police Headquarters on May 9 that year, PBI took over the cases from Moglabazar Police Station and started investigation from May 13.

PBI on July 22 this year, submitted a final investigation report on the twin grenade blast, where it said two attackers and the key planner died during anti-militant drives in Barahat and Nasirpur areas in Moulvibazar.