The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on Tuesday arrested one suspected operative of the banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), also a suspected fugitive of the Holey Artisan attack, from the Kansat union under the Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj.
The arrested has been identified as: Monirul Islam, 35, resident of the Shibnarayanpur village of the upazila.
After concluding a four and half hour long raid, at a press briefing RAB-5 Captain Lt Col Mahbubul Alam said: “Acting on a tip-off, the elite team on Monday around 3:30am, had conducted a drive in the upazila and searched at least 15-20 houses.”
“However, the elite team had failed to arrest the district’s top operatives, as they fled the sight before the RAB arrived,” he added.
Two RAB members stand before the suspected militant den in Shib Narayanganj village in Chapainawabganj on January 22, 2019 | Dhaka Tribune
“The raid was based on information regarding the JMB operatives associated with the Holey Artisan attack, hiding in the upazila and plotting secret terrorist acts across the country,” he also added.
The arrestee’s family members denied his involvement with terrorist activities but also disclosed that there had been frequent presence of unknown religious men in his house.
Meanwhile, a case has been filed with the Shibganj police station in connection with the incident.
