15 Neo JMB leaders ‘trying to regroup’

Law enforcement agencies have said that 15 top leaders of the Neo JMB are still active and trying to reorganise the terror outfit. 

Law enforcers had foiled the militant plan to carry out massive attacks in the city by eliminating some of the top leaders of the Neo JMB in recent days.
Nurul Islam Marjan, absconding former leader of Islamic Chhatra Shibir’s Chittagong University unit, has taken over charge of the Neo JMB after the death of Tanim Chowdhury. This was revealed during interrogation of Neo JMB members and by documents seized from hideouts of militants.
One Ripon, who was earlier chief of the Neo JMB’s northern region unit, has now become chief operational commander, while Khalid was assigned the task of reorganising the outfit. Both Ripon and Khalid are suspected to be hiding in India. Law enforcement agencies said Basharuzzaman, alias Chocolate, alias Rajib Gandhi, alias Suvash Gandhi, is looking after the information and communication technology (ICT) department of the Neo JMB.
The Neo JMB had planned to kill 80 foreigners in two simultaneous suicide attacks in the city. However, law enforcers claimed that they had foiled the plan by eliminating some of the top militant leaders in recent anti-militant drives. 
The Counter-Terrorism and Transitional Crimes (CTTC) Unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police came to know about the plan while grilling some arrested militants, their wives and children. Some secret documents were also seized from militant hideouts.

According to sources in intelligence agencies, the new plan was part of an attempt to destabilise the elected  government and tarnish its image.
Neo JMB leaders had selected 10 suicide attackers who were trained for the mission. At the city’s Kalyanpur militant den, spiritual leaders and trainers motivated them so that they would be ready for the suicide attacks. They also carried out reconnaissance at two targeted places where a large number of foreigners, especially from Western countries, gather.
Two groups, each having five suicide attackers, were assigned the task of carrying out two separate attacks in the capital. On getting the information, intelligence agencies started surveillance and gathered adequate intelligence about the planned attacks and movement of the militants.
After the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks, CTTC officials intensified their anti-militant drives. During their successful drives in the city’s Kalyanpur, Rupnagar and Azimpur areas, as well as in Narayanganj, some of the top leaders of the Neo JMB, including its coordinator Tamim Chowdhury, were killed. This destroyed the organisational structure of the militant outfit and weakened it, claimed CTTC officers.
The CTTC’s additional deputy commissioner, Md Sanwar Hossain Sunny, said that after the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks, militants planned to carry out two major attacks in the capital. But the plan was foiled because of the continuous anti-militant drives of the CTTC, he added. 
He also said that the militants do not have the ability to carry out large-scale attacks at this point of time, as their organisation has been weakened. 
Replying to another question, the anti-militant expert said: “We are trying to arrest those militants who are trying to be active.”
About the present strength of the militant outfit, Monirul Islam, additional commissioner of the CTTC, told The Independent that the Neo JMB has lost 60 to 70 per cent of its strength. 
In the last four incidents, many of its operational commanders, coordinators and militant trainers were killed by law enforcers, and this weakened the militant outfit, said Monirul, also a deputy inspector general of Bangladesh Police.
Monirul said that after the death of first-tier leaders of a militant organisation, second-tier leaders take over immediately. The posts never remain vacant, he noted, adding that militant organisations always decide in advance who will lead after whom.
Tanvir Qadri, alias Abdul Karim, a top leader of the Neo JMB, was killed in Azimpur earlier this month. He was planning to form a new suicide squad to carry out terror attacks. He had also finalised the structure of such a specialised cell because of the death of 14 militants in two major incidents — the Gulshan attack and the police raid in Kalyanpur.
Law enforcers also arrested five suicide squad members from the capital in the last one month.
On the night of July 1, five militants attacked Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan and took diners hostage. In all, 29 people were killed—20 hostages, 18 of them foreigners, two police officers, the five attackers and two bakery staff.
Nine suspected militants were killed during a shootout with a special team of the DMP in the city’s Kalyanpur area in the last week of July.
Three suspected militants, including the Gulshan café terror attack mastermind, Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, were killed during a joint forces’ raid at Paikpara, in Narayanganj, on August 27.
Maj. (Retd) Mohammad Jahidul Islam, second-in-command after Tamim Chowdhury, was killed in the city’s Rupnagar area in September. He was also a trainer of the Neo JMB, police said.

15 Neo JMB leaders trying to regroup

Law enforcement agencies have said that 15 top leaders of the Neo JMB are still active and trying to reorganise the terror outfit. Law enforcers had foiled the militant plan to carry out massive attacks in the city by eliminating some of the top leaders of the Neo JMB in recent days. Nurul Islam Marjan, absconding former leader of Islamic Chhatra Shibirs Chittagong University unit, has taken over charge of the Neo JMB after the death of Tanim Chowdhury. This was revealed during interrogation of Neo JMB members and by documents seized from hideouts of militants. One Ripon, who was earlier chief of the Neo JMBs northern region unit, has now become chief operational commander, while Khalid was assigned the task of reorganising the outfit. Both Ripon and Khalid are suspected to be hiding in India. Law enforcement agencies said Basharuzzaman, alias Chocolate, alias Rajib Gandhi, alias Suvash Gandhi, is looking after the information and communication technology (ICT) department of the Neo JMB. The Neo JMB had planned to kill 80 foreigners in two simultaneous suicide attacks in the city. However, law enforcers claimed that they had foiled the plan by eliminating some of the top militant leaders in recent anti-militant drives. The Counter-Terrorism and Transitional Crimes (CTTC) Unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police came to know about the plan while grilling some arrested militants, their wives and children. Some secret documents were also seized frommilitant hideouts. According to sources in intelligence agencies, the new plan was part of an attempt to destabilise the elected government and tarnish its image. Neo JMB leaders had selected 10 suicide attackers who were trained for the mission. At the citys Kalyanpur militant den, spiritual leaders and trainers motivated them so that they would be ready for the suicide attacks. They also carried out reconnaissance at two targeted places where a large number of foreigners, especially from Western countries, gather. Two groups, each having five suicide attackers, were assigned the task of carrying out two separate attacks in the capital. On getting the information, intelligence agencies started surveillance and gathered adequate intelligence about the planned attacks and movement of the militants. After the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks, CTTC officials intensified their anti-militant drives. During their successful drives in the citys Kalyanpur, Rupnagar and Azimpur areas, as well as in Narayanganj, some of the top leaders of the Neo JMB, including its coordinator Tamim Chowdhury, were killed. This destroyed the organisational structure of the militant outfit and weakened it, claimed CTTC officers. The CTTCs additional deputy commissioner, Md Sanwar Hossain Sunny, said that after the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks, militants planned to carry out two major attacks in the capital. But the plan was foiled because of the continuous anti-militant drives of the CTTC, he added. He also said that the militants do not have the ability to carry out large-scale attacks at this point of time, as their organisation has been weakened. Replying to another question, the anti-militant expert said: We are trying to arrest those militants who are trying to be active. About the present strength of the militant outfit, Monirul Islam, additional commissioner of the CTTC, told The Independent that the Neo JMB has lost 60 to 70 per cent of its strength. In the last four incidents, many of its operational commanders, coordinators and militant trainers were killed by law enforcers, and this weakened the militant outfit, said Monirul, also a deputy inspector general of Bangladesh Police. Monirul said that after the death of first-tier leaders of a militant organisation, second-tier leaders take over immediately. The posts never remain vacant, he noted, adding that militant organisations always decide in advance who will lead after whom. Tanvir Qadri, alias Abdul Karim, a top leader of the Neo JMB, was killed in Azimpur earlier this month. He was planning to form a new suicide squad to carry out terror attacks. He had also finalised the structure of such a specialised cell because of the death of 14 militants in two major incidents the Gulshan attack and the police raid in Kalyanpur. Law enforcers also arrested five suicide squad members from the capital in the last one month. On the night of July 1, five militants attacked Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan and took diners hostage. In all, 29 people were killed20 hostages, 18 of them foreigners, two police officers, the five attackers and two bakery staff. Nine suspected militants were killed during a shootout with a special team of the DMP in the citys Kalyanpur area in the last week of July. Three suspected militants, including the Gulshan caf terror attack mastermind, Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, were killed during a joint forces raid at Paikpara, in Narayanganj, on August 27. Maj. (Retd) Mohammad Jahidul Islam, second-in-command after Tamim Chowdhury, was killed in the citys Rupnagar area in September. He was also a trainer of the Neo JMB, police said.