Second Bogra Shia mosque attack suspect died in shootout, say police

Police in Bogra say another suspect of last year’s attack on a Shia mosque has died in what is being described as a ‘shootout’.

The dead, identified as Md Kausar, 25, was an operative of the banned outfit Jama'at ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), security officials claimed.

The shooting began around 3am on Wednesday in the northern district’s Shibganj Upazila during a raid, said Bogra’s Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police Gaziur Rahman.

Wednesday’s incident has come after three other suspected JMB militants died in two separate shootouts in Dhaka and Rajshahi the previous day.

A senior police officer told the media in Dhaka that Sultan Mahmud alias Kamal, who was among the dead on Tuesday, had taken part in the 2015 Shia mosque attack in Bogra.

Police said JMB operative Kausar, who died on Wednesday, had also taken part in the attack last November that left one dead and three others injured.

“A police team raided a village in Shibganj Upazila on the basis of a tip-off. Sensing their presence, the militants opened fire and hurled bombs while fleeing. The police had to retaliate,” said Bogra’s Senior Assistant Superintendent Rahman.

Kausar was found lying with gunshot wounds and taken to a hospital, where doctors declared him dead, he said.

A firearm, crude bombs and sharp weapons have been seized from the spot, said police.

On Nov 26, 2015, gunmen had opened fire on a Shia mosque during the prayers and fled. The attack left the mosque’s muezzin dead and two local residents injured.

According to police and witnesses, three men had taken part in the attack.

The Middle-East-based Islamic State reportedly claimed responsibility for the action, just as it did for several other recent attacks in Bangladesh.