‘Gulshan attack probe report by end of this year’

Staff Correspondent: Monirul Islam, chief of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, expressed hopes of submitting the probe report of the gruesome July 1 Gulshan café attack by the end of this year.

The CTTC chief said this while replying to reporters at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre on Friday.

Monirul Islam said, “We have so far confirmed the involvement of about 20-22 people in the attack. Among them, five were killed during the Gulshan café attack. Later, eight were killed in different drives. Six have been arrested and the rest are on the run. But the number of suspects may increase. New information is coming out from the ongoing investigation. Hope the probe report of the gruesome July 1 Gulshan café attack may be submitted by the end of this year.”

Earlier, Counter Terrorism Unit, a specialised wing of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), arrested Maulana Abul Kashem, a “spiritual leader” of the militant unit neo JMB, hailed from Kurigram, from Senpara Parbat of the capital's Mirpur area on Thursday night.

Kashem, teacher of a madrasa in Joypurhat, played a key role in introducing Jahangir, another plotter of Dhaka attack, to “Neo JMB” chief Tamim Chowdhury, Monirul said.

Kashem had knowledge of religious issues and used to preach to the members of the outfit, he added.

On July 1, 2016, militants attacked the Gulshan café in Dhaka’s diplomatic zone and killed 20 hostages – mostly foreigners. Two police officials were also killed before army commandoes ended the 12-hour long siege.

risingbd/DHAKA/March 3, 2017/Nur/Amirul