Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Chief Monirul Islam has said the Neo JMB members thought of gaining religious virtue by attacking Hazrat Shahjalal's shrine in Sylhet before Eid.
They also rented a house in the Shaplabagh area of Sylhet city to plan the attack. However, police foiled their attack on the basis of intelligence information, he added.
Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Chief Monirul Islam addresses a press briefing on August 12, 2020 | CollectedThe CTTC chief made the remarks in a press conference at Dhaka Metropolitan Police's media center around midday on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the CTTC unit of police recovered bomb-making devices from the house -- rented by one of the detained suspected militants Sanaul Islam Sadi – through a raid around 9pm on Tuesday.
Also read: CTTC arrests five suspected Neo JMB men over Paltan bomb blast
Computers and laptops containing videos with instructions on bomb-making procedures were also recovered during the drive.
Aftab Hossain Khan, 6th ward councilor of Sylhet City Corporation, confirmed the matter.
Earlier on the day, CTTC arrested five suspected members of Neo JMB, including its Sylhet sector commander, from Mirabazar area of Sylhet.
CTTC arrested five suspected members of Neo JMB | Collected The arrestees were identified as Sheikh Sultan Mohammad Naimuzzaman -- regional commander of Neo JMB in Sylhet, Sanaul Islam Sadi, Rubel Ahmed, Sayem Mirza, and Abdur Rahim.
Naimuzzaman joined Chhatra Shibir as the head of a training cell of the Neo JMB’s military wing after completing honours degree from the Political Science department of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Sylhet, in 2009.
Sanaul Islam studied in the Statistics department of the same university, Rubel completed Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) education, Sayem got honours degree from Madan Mohan College and Abdur Rahim was a chauffeur.
Locals and journalists gather in front of a home of a detained suspected militant during a raid in Sylhet's Jalalabad area on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 | Dhaka Tribune
The recent crackdown on militants has been dubbed as “Operation Elegant Bite.”
Monirul Islam said police had information before Eid that the Neo JMB members are trying to carry out attacks.
They tried to attack Hazrat Shahjalal's shrine and Dhaka’s Purana Paltan area on July 23 and July 24 respectively, he added.
On July 26, they left a grenade on a police motorcycle in Dhaka’s Gulistan and attempted to attack Naogaon’s Sapahar area on July 31 but failed, he added.
Monirul also said the cell, under the leadership of Naimuzzaman, rented the house and tried to carry out the attacks.
“However, we have thwarted all their attempts,” he added.