Holey Artisan Attack: Charge sheet by this month

Police expect to complete the probe into last year's terror attack in a Gulshan café by December this year.

“The investigation is at the final stage. We will submit the charge sheet by this month,” Monirul Islam, chief of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime, told reporters yesterday.

Counterterrorism officials claimed to have found involvement of 30-35 people in the country's worst-ever terrorist attack. Seven of the suspects have already been arrested and four are still on the run.

The CTTC chief said they would submit the charge sheet showing the four as fugitives if they could not arrest them by then.

The July 1 attack left 20 people, mostly foreigners, and two police officials killed.

Most of the “Neo JMB” leaders who planned and coordinated the attack were killed in different raids.

The terrorists carried out the attack to draw the attention of global terror outfit Islamic State. They had also planned some follow-up attacks aiming to topple the incumbent government and establish their “favourable government”, Monirul said citing findings of the investigation.

Replying to a query, he said the investigation, however, did not find any link between IS and the local militants behind the attack.

Five armed militants swooped on the Holey Artisan Bakery and carried out the massacre. They were killed in an army commando raid the next morning.

Talking to reporters at the DMP media centre, Monirul named Akram Hossain Khan Niloy, a top leader of “Neo JMB”, for the first time yesterday as one of the financiers of the attack.

Alongside Niloy, also the key planner of an attempted attack on August 15 on a National Mourning Day programme on Dhanmondi 32, three Neo JMB leaders -- café attack grenade and bomb supplier Hadisur Rahman Sagar, Mamunur Rashid Ripon alias Jahangir and Shariful Islam -- are still on the run, according to Monirul.

The café attack planners and attackers who have been killed in anti-terror raids include Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, Nurul Islam Marjan, Sarwar Jahan, Tanvir Kaderi, Maj (retd) Jahid, Maynul Islam alias Musa, Tarek, Abdullah, Faridul Islam Akash and five attackers -- Nibras Islam, Rohan Imtiaz, Meer Sabeh Mubasheer, Khairul Islam Payel and Shafiqul Islam Uzzal.

Besides, the CTTC has recently confirmed following a DNA test that “Neo JMB” fund collector Basharuzzaman Chocolate and another bomb supplier Mizanur Rahman alias Chhoto Mizan were killed during an anti-militancy drive in Chapainawabganj on April 27.

Suspects arrested in the case include Jahangir Alam alias Rajib Gandhi, arms supplier Sohel Mahfuz Mizanur Rahman alias Boro Mizan and Rakibul Hasan alias Rigan, Rashed alias Rash and Hasnat Karim, a former teacher of North South University.

AVIJIT MURDER CHARGE SHEET BEFORE DEATH ANNIVERSARY

Monirul Islam also said they are expecting to press charges in the writer-blogger Avijit Roy murder case before his third death anniversary on February 26.

The law enforcers have so far arrested 11 suspects in connection with the murder. Several of them in their confessional statements before the courts said they had carried out the attack led by Mukul Rana alias Sharif alias Saleh alias Arif alias Hadi. Mukul was killed in a “gunfight” with law enforcers in the city's Khilgaon area on June 19 last year.

According to CTTC officials, eight operatives of Ansar Al Islam took part in the murder of Avijit Roy following an instruction of sacked and absconding army major Syed Ziaul Haque, alleged military wing chief of the banned militant outfit.

Avijit, a Bangladesh-born US citizen, was hacked to death on Dhaka University campus when he along with his wife Rafida Ahmed Bonya was returning from the Amar Ekushey Book Fair on February 26, 2015.

Monirul Islam also expressed the hope of completing the investigation into bloggers-publisher and writers killings including publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan murder, LGBT rights activists Xulhaz Mannan and his friend Mahbub Rabby Tonoy killings and Jagannath University student Nazim Uddin Samad killing by early next year.