The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) conducted a raid at a building in Dhanmondi, claiming it was the hub for the directives of sabotage, violence, and arson carried out by Jamaat-Shibir.
On Saturday night, the CTTC raided "Oboshor Bhaban," located on Road 5/A in Dhanmondi in Dhaka.
According to the CTTC, the building was used to orchestrate recent acts of sabotage, violence, and arson under the guise of the quota movement. It also served as the Dhaka Metropolitan Central Office, where funds were collected and distributed for these activities.
After the raid, the Additional Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Md Asaduzzaman held a press conference inside the building.
"A lawyer named Jasim Uddin rented chambers on the fourth floor of the six-storey building. He is a leader of Jamaat-e-Islami. From here, all the activities of Jamaat in Dhaka city were conducted secretly,” he said.
The CTTC chief added: "Earlier on Saturday, former Shibir president Rashedul Islam, Jamaat leader Mizanur Rahman, and Jamaat metropolitan treasurer and member Abdur Rashid were arrested from different areas of Dhaka. The raid was conducted based on information obtained from their interrogation."
He added that they have recovered locally-made weapons the Jamaat-Shibir activists used in recent attacks.
Responding to a question from a journalist, the CTTC chief said: "From the documents we found here in the primary interrogation, it is clear that the movement has been coordinated from this location. We have received the names of some major donors who have funded the movement."
He added that Jamaat-Shibir members were also planning to attack the home minister's house -- which was also directed from that house.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said that initially, Jamaat-Shibir terrorists maintained a low profile among the participants of the quota reform movement.
"But at a certain time, they came forward to the frontline dangerously," she added.
The prime minister made the comments during a meeting with Spanish Ambassador to Bangladesh Gabriel Maria Sistiaga Ochoa de Chinchetru at her official residence Ganabhaban.
The prime minister said that the terrorists specifically targeted structures symbolizing the government's achievements and efforts for public welfare.
She mentioned several key infrastructures, including the Covid hospital, metro rail, expressway, Setu Bhaban, disaster management building, and data centre.
"All of our development symbols, which provided comfort and convenience to the people, became their targets of destruction," she stated.
Talking about the army deployment, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that army personnel showed patience at the highest level on the ground.
