Dhaka, Jan 20 – The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court of Dhaka court on Sunday placed Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) member Md Mammunur Rashid, an accused in Gulshan Holey Artisan Bakery café attack case, on a five-day remand. Magistrate (Judge) Kanak Barua passed the order in the afternoon when investigation officer (IO) of the case and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-3 Kafil Uddin sought a ten-day remand for the accused.
Earlier on Saturday night, Rab-men arrested Md Mammunur Rashid alias Ripon alias Rezaul Karim alias Reza, a surah member of banned militant outfit JMB and also the supplier of money and arms to the café attackers.
Acting on a tip-off, a team of the elite force conducted a drive in Boardbazar area and arrested the JMB member along with Tk 1.5 lakh, said a Rab source.
The terrorist attack that shattered the country and drew uncommon global attention, claimed lives of 22 people – nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian, one Bangladeshi-born American and two Bangladeshis along with two police officers on July 1, 2016.
Twenty-one people were identified to be behind the attack. Among them, 13 were killed in gunfights at different times.
On July 23 in 2018, police pressed charges against eight alleged militants in the Holey Artisan cafe attack case.
Earlier members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in a drive arrested a charge-sheeted accused of the case filed over Gulshan Holey Artisan Bakery attack.
The arrestee is Md Mammunur Rashid alias Ripon alias Rezaul Karim alias Reza, a surah member of banned militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and also the supplier of money and arms to the cafe attackers was arrested from Board Bazar of Gazipur around 11:15 pm last night. RAB’s Legal and Media Wing Director Mufti Mahmud Khan made the statement yesterday while addressing the media at its media centre in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar.
Rab sources said, a team of the law enforcement conducted the raid in Boardbazar area and arrested the JMB leader along with Tk147,755.
Ripon, hailing from Bogra’s Nandigram Upazila was the key arms and explosive supplier and financer of Gulshan café attack, according to law enforcers.
However, six of the accused in the case are now in jail. Around Tk39 lakh worth of arms and ammunition led by Ripon were brought from a neighbouring country for the attack at Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan in 2016, RAB claimed.
Ripon and another JMB man Shariful Islam Khaled, who was involved in the killing of Prof Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, went to India months before the Gulshan café siege possibly to ensure supply of firearms for the terror attack, according to police.
Both the JMB leaders left for India in April in 2016, days after the murder of the Rajshahi University professor Rezaul Karim.
On February 23, 2014, armed JMB militants ambushed a prison van and snatched away three prisoners in Trishal Upazila of Mymensingh. A police constable was killed as the attackers opened fire and hurled crude bombs at the prison van at Signboard point of Aminabari area.
On July 1, 2016, a group of armed militants stormed the Holey Artisan Bakery in the capital’s Gulshan and killed 20 hostages, mostly foreign nationals. Two police officials were also killed during the 12-hour standoff. Police held the home-grown militant group ‘Neo JMB’ responsible
for the country’s worst ever terrorist attack.
After that incident police filled a case against 21 members. Among them 13 JMB men died in several drives, 6 were in prison and 2 were fugitive. In that two fugitives, Mammunur Rashid held yesterday. In a primary investigation, Rashid confessed about supplying arms, explosive and money to the Artisan Bakery attackers. – Staff Reporter
