Tavella shot dead 'by Neo JMB'

Documents recovered from several “Neo JMB” dens claim that Italian aid worker Cesare Tavella was shot dead by the militant group, Rapid Action Battalion said yesterday.

The special force distributed a press release among journalists during a press briefing at its new media centre in the capital's Karwan Bazar yesterday. The release had a list of 19 attacks claimed by the “Neo JMB” and the killing of the foreigner in Gulshan diplomatic zone on September 28 last year was mentioned at the top.

The attacks were carried out by militants under the leadership of Shaykh Abu Ibrahim Al Hanif alias Sarwar Jahan alias Abdur Rahman, it said, quoting the documents.

Sarwar jumped to his death while trying to flee during a Rab raid on a building in Ashulia on October 8.

The Detective Branch of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, which investigated Tavella murder case, in July submitted a charge sheet to a Dhaka court against BNP leader MA Quayum, his brother MA Matin and five others.

Quayum is a joint convener of the BNP's Dhaka city unit and also a former ward commissioner of the erstwhile Dhaka City Corporation.

Apart from Quayum and Matin, the five other charge sheeted accused are Tamjid Ahmed Rubel, Russell Chowdhury, Minhajul Arefin, also known as Bhagne Russell, Sohel alias Bhangari Sohel, supplier of firearms, and Shakhawat Hossain Sharif, who provided the motorcycle used in the killing, detectives had said earlier.

Quayum and Sohel are on the run while the others are behind bars.

When a journalist, referring to the Tavella murder, asked whether the case was not investigated properly, Rab Director General Benazir Ahmed said they collected the First Information Report (FIR) of the case, but had not collected the charge sheet and other documents yet.

“We can say about it only after collecting the charge sheet and the documents.”

Middle East-based Islamic State claimed responsibility for militant attacks in Bangladesh, according to US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist activities worldwide. The claims, however, were rejected by the police and the home minister.

Earlier, several top DMP officials repeatedly said Tavella murder was a part of a conspiracy to create anarchy, put pressure on the government and send a message to foreigners that they were not safe in Bangladesh.

Quayum's brother Matin had hired three killers to kill a “white man” (foreigner) and Tavella became their prey, they had said.

After his name surfaced as the alleged mastermind, Quayum had told The Daily Star from Malaysia over phone that he was being “victimised because of his political identity”.

The 19 attacks claimed by the “Neo JMB” include the Holey Artisan attack, the Sholakia attack, the murder of Japanese citizen Kunio Hoshi in Rangpur, the attempted murder of Pastor Luke Sarkar in Pabna, and the attack on a police check post in Dhaka, and the attack on Hossaini Dalan in old Dhaka.

“Neo JMB”, as law enforcers call it, is an offshoot of the banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB).