A close aide of Gulshan attack mastermind Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury was killed in a raid with the police Friday night.
The dead – Murad alias Jahangir alias Julhas – was a military trainer of the New JMB outfit, Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit chief Monirul Islam told the Dhaka Tribune.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Sanowar Hossain identified Murad as one of the trainers of Gulshan and Sholakia attackers.
Another officer seeking anonimity said that Murad, 45, was a retired major of Bangladesh Army.
The raid took place in House 34 on Road 33 of Rupnagar residential area at Mirpur around 8:45pm.
Rupnagar OC Syed Shahid Alam, OC (investigation) Shahin Fakir and Sub-Inspector Momenur Rahman were injured during the raid.
One of the officers was stabbed by the militant, police say. The injured were first taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital and later sent to Square Hospital after primary treatment.
ADC Sanowar said that they had information that Murad was staying in the flat with his family.
“Rupnagar police raided the flat [on the fifth floor of the six-storey building] a day after the Narayanganj operation [on August 27
when Tamim and two of his associates were killed] but found it locked. The landlord was asked to keep the station informed if the tenants return.
“Murad returned to his flat this [Friday] evening. As the police arrived on information and were sealing the building off, Murad attacked them and injured three policemen. The police officers fired back and killed him,” he told the Dhaka Tribune.
Another source said that the landlord had locked the flat keeping Murad inside but he somehow managed to escape. He was later intercepted by the law enforcers on the street near the house.
They shot and killed Murad as he opened fire from his pistol and stabbed several policemen leaving three of them injured. Police recovered a pistol, several rounds of bullets and a knife from the spot, the officer said asking not to be named.