After the killing of “Neo JMB” leader Nurul Islam Marzan in a “gunfight” with police, investigators say the group has plunged into a leadership crisis but a few militants with potential to lead the outfit are yet to be hunted down.

Marzan, who allegedly organised the Gulshan café attack, was next in the rank to Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, the top “Neo JMB” coordinator killed in a police raid in August in Narayanganj.

Police claim they have made a major headway in the café siege investigation and majority of militants behind it either got killed or arrested.

Since the terror incident, which left 20 hostages dead at Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan on July 1 last year, at least three dozen “Neo JMB” militants got killed in different police drives.

Of the slain militants, 16 were directly involved in the attack, police said. 

Asked last night who might lead the group after the death of Marzan, DMP's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit chief Monirul Islam said it could be Maynul Islam Musa. 

Musa has become a key leader of “Neo JMB” following the killing of its top leaders, including Tamim, Maj (retd) Jahid and Tanvir Kaderi, in separate operations in the capital and Narayanganj, according to the CTTC unit.

Some investigators, however, say it is also possible that Hasidur Rahman Sagor, brother-in-law of Marzan, would take the helm of the group, a faction of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

Once a member of the mainstream JMB, Sagor has bomb-making expertise. He had good relations with JMB's executed leader Siddikul Islam Bangla Bhai.

According to investigators, Sagor was recruited to the faction, “Neo JMB” as law enforcers call it, by arms supplier Sohel Mahfuz. He made grenades using the detonator and explosives sent by Mahfuz from India, said officials. 

“To nab Musa and Sagor, we are conducting drives in different areas,” Abdul Mannan, additional deputy commissioner of the CTTC, told The Daily Star.

Another high official of the CTTC unit, wishing anonymity, said mid-level leader Basharuzzaman alias Abul Bashar and trainer Jahangir alias Rajib Gandhi would play the lead roles while Musa is possibly getting the charge of operations.

Bashar, who escaped arrest during the Azimpur raid in September last year, has vast knowledge in information technology and he used to collect funds from different financiers as per the directives of Marzan.

Rajib, 35, from Gaibandha district, was involved in over 30 secret killings and terrorist attacks in northern and south-western regions.

He was quite young when he joined the mainstream JMB, which carried out synchronised bomb attacks across the country in 2005.

Rajib had close connections with Tamim, allegedly the mastermind of café siege.

He is thought to be one of organisers of the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks. He sent two militants from Bogra to take part in the Gulshan attack and another from Dinajpur for Sholakia.

'NO MORE INFO NEEDED'

In Friday night's “gunfight” with police in Mohammadpur Beribadh area early Friday, Nurul Islam Marzan, 22, was killed along with his associate Saddam, who led the group's activities in northern region.

Saddam was wanted in at least 10 murder cases, including that for the killing of Japanese national Kunio Hoshi in Rangpur and Jogeshwar Das Adhikari in Panchagarh.

A day after the incident, Inspector General of Police AKM Shahidul Hoque said most of those responsible for the café attack were either killed or arrested.

The police chief said the death of Marzan and Saddam will not affect the investigation as police already know everything about them and their militant activities.

“We don't need any more information. Now we will work to prepare the charge sheet,” he said, replying to a query at a programme on Dhaka University campus yesterday.

Asked about Major (sacked) Zia, military wing chief of terror outfit Ansar al Islam, IGP Shahidul said police are looking for him. 

Meanwhile, Dr Sohel Mahmud, head of the forensic department at Dhaka Medical College (DMC), said the bodies of Marzan and Saddam bear marks of multiple bullets.

“We have collected viscera and DNA samples for various other tests,” he said after conducting the autopsies.

In another development, a case was file with Mohammadpur Police Station regarding the “gunfight”. In the case statement, police said two militants were killed in gunfight but another suspect, who was present on the spot, managed to flee.