Police have uncovered a plot by the “Neo JMB” to carry out a suicidal attack in Chittagong city's Sadarghat Police Station to demoralise Bangladesh Police, police officials said yesterday, a day after raiding a hideout of the outfit and arresting two of its members from Chittagong's Madarbari area on Tuesday.

The arrestees --Ashfaqur Rahman alias Rasel, alias Selebi Titus alias Abu Mahir Al Bangali, 22, from Gafargaon in Mymensing and Raqibul Hasan alias Jony, alias Salah Uddin Ayubi alias Hasan alias Abu Taishir Al Bangali, 19, from Muradnagar in Comilla – are suicide squad members, police said.

Ashfaqur is the deputy commander of “Neo-JMB's” military wing while Rakib is a former Shibir man, they added.

Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) of police was in charge of the raid on the flat in the four-storey building, 'Minu Bhaban', at Port City Housing Society under Sadarghat Police Station.

 “Neo JMB plotted to carry out suicide attacks at different establishments of police and Rab in the city as per the direction of the so-called Neo JMB Amir Don,” Deputy Commissioner (North) of Detective Branch of Chittagong Metropolitan Police Hasan Mohammed Showkat Ali told a press briefing yesterday.

The militants later fixed Sadarghat Police Station as their first target, he added.

“As per the plan, the accused made several sketch maps of the police station and sent it to their head, [known as] 'Don'. The so-called leader ordered them to execute the plan through the encrypted app “Telegram”,” said the DC.

The suspected militants, however, said that they had never met the “Don”.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) of DB AAM Humayun Kabir said the militants targeted the police station as its officer-in-charge (OC) is a woman and they saw her on occasions as they  frequented the mosque and her employment did not fit into their ideology. 

“The militants recced the police station several times,” said ADC, quoting militants.

Handmade grenades recovered during the raid were brought from Dhaka's Jatrabari on Monday night and Rakib carried it to Chittagong, said ADC Polash Kanti Nath.

He said the arrestees, during primary interrogation, admitted that before travelling to Chittagong, the duo met with Jibon, another deputy commander of the outfit's military wing. Mezbah and Abdullah were also in Jatrabari area of the capital at that time.

Ibrahim Mannan Minu, owner of the building, said Mezbah Uddin, 22, and one Mansur rented the flat at Tk 5,500 per month introducing themselves as tyre businessmen and had also provided him a copy of Mezbah's NID. Police did not find Mezbah during the raid and his mobile phone was switched off.

Police are verifying whether the NID is genuine.

Inspector Rajesh Barua of CMP's Bomb Disposal Unit filed a case with Sadarghat Police Station under the Anti- Terrorism Act. A Chittagong court yesterday remanded the duo for seven days after they were produced with a 10-day remand prayer.