Gulistan, Science Lab attacks carried out to get IS attention: DMP

The recent IED attacks targeting police at Gulistan and Science lab were carried out by a gang of New JMB in order to draw attention of Islamic State, according to police.

It was revealed by two Neo JMB members, who were arrested by a team of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) in Mohammadpur area of Dhaka around 8:15 last night, said Monirul Islam, CTTC chief during a press conference at Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Media Centre this morning.

Arrestees Md Mehedi Hasan Tamim and Md Abdullah Azmir are former students of Khulna University and Engineering University (Kuet) and also members of Neo JMB’s military unit, said Monirul.

Tamim was present at the scene during both the attacks whereas, Azmir was not physically present there but he was one of the masterminds who was involved in making the IEDs used during the attacks, Monirul said quoting the duo.

They were friends since they studied together at Kuet, the police official said adding that they became radicalised through the internet.

In the beginning they used to write for different blogs of Ansar-al-Islam. But soon they took up the ideology of Islamic State (IS), monirul Islam also said.

They later formed a group to conduct attacks on police officials at different places in order to be noticed by IS, Monirul added.

CTTC conducted the drive based on information squeezed from Farid Uddin Rumee and Mishuk Khan Mizan, the two who were arrested during Narayanganj militant den bust on September 23.

They are members of the same group. Azmir was working as a high official at a corporate organisation, whereas Tamim was unemployed.

Azmir was one of the four persons shown in the recent so called IS video, Monirul also said adding that he posed in the video with a walkie talkie given to him by the corporate office he works at for official use.

On April 29, two traffic police constables and a community traffic policeman were injured in a blast in the capital’s Gulistan.

On the other hand, two policemen, including a security detail of LGRD Minister Tazul Islam, were injured in an attack when the minister was passing through Dhaka’s Science Laboratory area around 9:20 pm on August 31. The minister was unhurt in the attack.