Acting chief among 7 JMB men remanded

Plainclothes police in a drive arrested seven suspected members of the banned Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), including the acting amir (chief) of a faction, from the city's Turag area on Thursday, report agencies.

During preliminary interrogation, they confessed that they planned to carry out attacks on VIPs (Very Important Persons) and VVIPs (Very Very Important Persons) and key installations of the country, said joint commissioner of Detective Branch (DB) of police Monirul Islam at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre in the city.

They planned to attract attention of the Iraq-Syria based militant organisation Islamic State(IS) by attacking the VIPs, VVIPs and key installations of the country, he said.

During the drive, the Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) also seized 10 kg of gel-like chemical and Jihadi books.

The arrested were identified as Abdullah Al Tasnim alias Nahid, 29, acting amir  of a JMB group, and his accomplices Nayeem Ali, 28, Sikander Ali, 25, Mahmud Ibn Bashar, 23, Masum Billah, 26, Fuhad Hasan, 18, and Ali Ahmed, 24.

Acting on secret information, a DB team along with members of Lawful Interception Centre (LIC) of the Police Headquarters launched a drive at Ashulia Landing Station under Turag Police Station at about 1:05pm on Thursday and arrested the JMB militants.

They also recovered gel-like chemical, four bronze idols, some books and leaflets. The recovered gel and bronze dust are used for making explosives.

Briefing reporters, Monirul Islam said the arrested militants revealed that they had planned to launch attacks on very important persons of the country to draw the attention of Isis.

Besides, they were trying to rejuvenate the JMB members who are not currently active through carrying out subversive acts, including attack on important establishments, in the country, he added.

Replying to a question, Monir said the detectives were investigating whether they had any link with the killing of Maulana Nurul Islam Faruqui, Islamic programme presenter of the television station 'Channel i'.

The arrested were produced on Friday before the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Rashed Talukder who granted them two days' remand each in the two cases filed against them.

It is learnt that JMB's acting chief Nahid made contact with IS in absence of their Ameer Maulana Saidur Rahman, who is now in jail, DB sources said.

JMB supremo Nahid was wanted in more than 20 cases filed under explosives act with different police stations in Gazipur and Tangail.