Police yesterday declared cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of two persons, saying they were behind the recent terror attacks and targeted killings in Bangladesh.

Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, a Canadian citizen of Bangladeshi origin, masterminded the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks, while sacked army major Syed Ziaul Haq had a hand in the targeted killings, said Inspector General of Police (IGP) AKM Shahidul Hoque.

“We believe we will be able to curb militant activities once we bring them under the purview of law,” he said at a press briefing at the police headquarters while announcing a Tk 20 lakh reward for information on each of them.

If any person provides police with the information, his or her identity would not be disclosed, assured the police chief.

He also said law enforcers would provide legal assistance to anyone who wants to leave the path of militancy and return to normal life.

In 2005, the government had announced Tk 50 lakh bounty each for the arrest of Abdur Rahman and Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai -- top leaders of banned militant outfit Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

Gunmen stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in the capital's Gulshan diplomatic zone on this July 1 and killed 20 hostages, mostly foreign nationals. Two police officials were also killed during the 12-hour hostage standoff.

In Kishoreganj, four people, including a suspected attacker, were killed in a militant attack near the Sholakia Eid congregation ground on July 7, the Eid day.

TAMIM

Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury is a top JMB leader and police investigation found his involvement in the Gulshan and Sholakia terror attacks, said the IGP.

He had also guided the group of nine militants, killed in a recent police operation at Kalyanpur, into planning further attacks, he said.

Shahidul said police were not sure whether Tamim is in the country right now.

However, he claimed that they have identified two key associates of Tamim and were working to arrest them.

Tamim, an accused in the case filed with Mirpur Police Station over the Kalyanpur incident, came under law enforcers' radar last year although he entered the country in a flight from Dubai on October 5 in 2013, said police.

He used to frequent the militant den in Kalyanpur and have meetings with the militants and give them motivational speeches, according to the case statement.

Tamim and other accused in the case also provided the 9 militants with financial support, firearms, ammunition and explosives, the case statement said, adding that the accused also trained the radicals.

Investigators believe Tamim is leading a pro-Islamic State (IS) group in Bangladesh. The IS mouthpiece Dabiq magazine says Tamim identifies himself as Shaykh Abu Ibrahim Al-Hanif, the "Amir of the Khilafah's Soldiers in Bengal."

However, the government rules out any organisational presence of IS in Bangladesh.

Tamim in a Dabiq issue reportedly claimed that a section of Shibir, the student front Jamaat-e-Islami, is also working for his group in Bangladesh.

Born on July 25 in 1986, Tanim is from Borogram Sadimapur village under Dubag union of Sylhet's Beanibazar upazila, according to the police headquarters.

Tamim's father Shafi Ahmed Chowdhury, who was a shipping officer in Chittagong, moved to Canada along with his family after the liberation war in 1971. Before the 2013 visit, Tamim along with his family came to Bangladesh in 2001 and stayed for around three months.

Tamim's cousin Tazim Ahmed Chowdhury said Tanim is married and has three children.

According to the international media, Tamim was previously a resident of Windsor, Ontario in Canada. He is in his mid-30s. A few people knew him from the local mosque and from the social circles. He was a shy and skinny kid.

Abdus Salam, chairman of Dubag union, said Tamim's family is associated with Jamaat politics and his late grandfather Abdul Majid Chowdhury was a “helping hand” of a Peace Committee, an anti-liberation force, during the 1971 Liberation War, reports our Sylhet correspondent.

ZIA

At yesterday's press briefing, the IGP said police investigation also found the involvement of sacked army major Syed Ziaul Haque in recent targeted killings of individuals.

Son of Syed Md Zillul Haque, Zia is from Mostafapur of Moulvibazar Sadar upazila.

According to police sources, Zia is the key operational commander of the pro-Qaeda outfit called Ansar Al Islam which was previously known as Ansarullah Bangla Team.

Zia made headlines in 2012 while trying to engineer a military coup that failed.

Ansar Al Islam claimed responsibility for some of the targeted killings of secularist writers, bloggers and gay rights activists.

Around 200 of its trained members are active in the country to execute the plans of Zia, detectives say, based on the statements of some of its arrested members.

Zia has been dodging police dragnet since 2012.

Chief of Counterterrorism and Transnational Crime unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Monirul Islam said Zia is currently inside the country. 

Among the members of his group, Zia is known as Sagar and Ishtaq.

Arrested Ansar Al Islam member Suman Hossain Patwari said he along with several other members was trained up at a centre in Tongi which was visited by Sagar alias Ishtaq, said police.

Suman has confessed his involvement in the attack on Shuddhoswar Publication owner Ahmedur Rashed Chowdhury Tutul on October 31 last year, police added.