Panthapath hotel blast: Cops find involvement of 15
The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit today claimed to have found link of 15 activists of the banned militant outfit “Neo JMB” with the suicide bomb blast that took place at a hotel in Panthapath in August 15, 2017.
Of the 15, one Saiful Islam, son of Abul Khair of Dumuria in Khulna was killed during the anti-militancy operation at the Hotel Olio located around half a kilometre off Bangabandhu Memorial Museum, the historic house in Dhanmondi where the Father of the Nation was brutally killed along with most of his family members on August 15, 1975.
“On completion of investigation, we found involvement of 15 militants including Saiful. And we have sought the government approval to frame charges against the 14 suspects in this connection,” Monirul Islam, chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said today.
All the 14 suspects were supporters of the spirit of the Islamic State and they had believed that they would be allowed to communicate with the IS if they become able to carry out a huge massacre on that day, Monirul said.
While talking to reporters at the DMP media centre, Monirul said that they had planned to carry out an attack on the crowd paying homage to Bangabandhu on National Mourning Day at Dhanmondi 32.
Of the 14, one Akram Hossain Khan Niloy was mastermind of the blast while Tanvir Yasin Karim, Abu Tushar Khan, Sadia Hosna Lucky, Humaira Zakir Nabila and Tazrin Khanam Shuvo were financers of the attack, he said.
Abdullah Ichan Kabiraj, Abul Kashem Fakir, Lulu Sardar alies Shahid Mistri and Tajul Islam Choton were bombs and explosives items suppliers, Monirul said.
Besides, Abdullah, Abdullah Ichan Kabiraj, Kamrul Islam Shakil and Tarique Mohammad Adnan provided shelter to the militant activists and patronised them for the attack, according to the findings of the investigation.
About the political identities of the attackers, Monirul said Saiful Islam, who has been killed during the operation, was once involved in Islamic Chhatra Shibir, a pro-Jamaat student body politics.
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