Ashulia bank robbery
Mastermind arrested
Members of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a banned militant outfit, had carried out the Ashulia bank robbery on April 21 for funding their activities, said Dhaka district police superintendent Habibur Rahman.
He was addressing a press conference at the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Media Centre in the city yesterday. He also wanted to inform the media about the latest arrest of Ashulia Bank robbery mastermind Shamim alias Sumon.
On April 21, armed criminals had robbed a branch of Bangladesh Commerce Bank at Kathgora in the Ashulia industrial area, killing nine people. About 30 people sustained bullet and splinter wounds when the ABT cadres opened fire and hurled a grenade.
Top ABT leader Sumon was arrested from the Tetulbari area in the city on Sunday night, said Habibur Rahman.
ABT members had attempted to loot huge amounts of money from the bank as per the organizational decision of the ABT. So far, Dhaka district police have arrested 11 persons in connection with the robbery. Sumon was associated with the banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and also met top JMB leader Salauddin several times. Militants had freed
three of their top operatives, including Salauddin, from a prison van in Trishal of Mymensingh on the Dhaka-Tangail Highway on February 23. Sumon later joined ABT following ideological conflicts with JMB leaders.
Habibur Rahman quoted Sumon as having said all these.
After primary interrogation, Habibur Rahman said Sumon was the operation commander of the robbery and he managed to escape from the spot by using firearms. Among the 11 arrested, five ABT members gave confessional statement mentioning Sumon.
