Top militants continue to evade arrest

RAB and police differ over ABT chief’s identity

The law enforcement agencies are yet to nab most-wanted militants on the run despite repeated claims from the home minister, the inspector general of police and other senior officials that they are under surveillance. Besides, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the police are contradicting each other about the identity of the current chief of terror outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).
After the killing of Gulshan attack masterminds Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and Zahid, both police and RAB are hunting for expelled Army major Zia ul Haque, chief of the ABT, and Nurul Islam Marjan, newly appointed chief of the Neo-JMB. So far, their efforts have not met with success.
Sources in the law enforcement agencies suspect that both Zia and Marjan are linked to international terrorist groups. With the help of terror financing from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Middle Eastern countries, they are most likely to expand militant networks in Bangladesh.
Intelligence agencies also suspect that both the militant leaders may have tried to communicate with the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Deputy inspector general (crime management) of the police, Humayun Kabir, yesterday told The Independent that they had zero tolerance for militant organisations. “We’ve already instructed all police units to form special teams to arrest the absconding militants," he said. He refused to disclose classified information about the whereabouts of Zia and Marjan so that they can be
quickly arrested.  Kabir, however, hinted that the masterminds would not be able to hide for long. They would be arrested soon, he said.  In October, home minister Assaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Syed Ziaul Haq, alias Major Zia, the alleged chief of the military wing of the ABT, was under detective surveillance and would be arrested soon.
RAB additional director general (operations) Lt. Col. Anwar Latif Khan yesterday told this correspondent that the RAB was taking serious steps to arrest all absconding militant leaders. “As of now, we have not been able to exactly trace Zia ul Haque or Marjan,” he said.
Replying to another question, the RAB second-in-command asserted that Zia ul Haque was not the current ABT chief. The police believe that the absconding terrorists are in the country and will not be able to evade arrest.  The law enforcement agencies have also failed to arrest Sohel Mahfuz, who has been a key leader of the banned militant outfit JMB for over a decade. According to Monirul Islam, chief of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTU) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Sohel Mahfuz had supplied the grenades used in the Gulshan café attack. He said the name of Sohel, who also goes by the alias Nasrullah, was common in the lists of militants and criminals exchanged between Dhaka and New Delhi in February last year. These militants were staying in West Bengal for the last few years, he added.

Top militants continue to evade arrest

RAB and police differ over ABT chiefs identity

The law enforcement agencies are yet to nab most-wanted militants on the run despite repeated claims from the home minister, the inspector general of police and other senior officials that they are under surveillance. Besides, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and the police are contradicting each other about the identity of the current chief of terror outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). After the killing of Gulshan attack masterminds Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and Zahid, both police and RAB are hunting for expelled Army major Zia ul Haque, chief of the ABT, and Nurul Islam Marjan, newly appointed chief of the Neo-JMB. So far, their efforts have not met with success. Sources in the law enforcement agencies suspect that both Zia and Marjan are linked to international terrorist groups. With the help of terror financing from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Middle Eastern countries, they are most likely to expand militant networks in Bangladesh. Intelligence agencies also suspect that both the militant leaders may have tried to communicate with the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). Deputy inspector general (crime management) of the police, Humayun Kabir, yesterday told The Independent that they had zero tolerance for militant organisations. Weve already instructed all police units to form special teams to arrest the absconding militants, he said. He refused to disclose classified information about the whereabouts of Zia and Marjan so that they can be quickly arrested. Kabir, however, hinted that the masterminds would not be able to hide for long. They would be arrested soon, he said. In October, home minister Assaduzzaman Khan Kamal said Syed Ziaul Haq, alias Major Zia, the alleged chief of the military wing of the ABT, was under detective surveillance and would be arrested soon. RAB additional director general (operations) Lt. Col. Anwar Latif Khan yesterday told this correspondent that the RAB was taking serious steps to arrest all absconding militant leaders. As of now, we have not been able to exactly trace Zia ul Haque or Marjan, he said. Replying to another question, the RAB second-in-command asserted that Zia ul Haque was not the current ABT chief. The police believe that the absconding terrorists are in the country and will not be able to evade arrest. The law enforcement agencies have also failed to arrest Sohel Mahfuz, who has been a key leader of the banned militant outfit JMB for over a decade. According to Monirul Islam, chief of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTU) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, Sohel Mahfuz had supplied the grenades used in the Gulshan caf attack. He said the name of Sohel, who also goes by the alias Nasrullah, was common in the lists of militants and criminals exchanged between Dhaka and New Delhi in February last year. These militants were staying in West Bengal for the last few years, he added.