Police say slain ‘attacker’ of Sholakia Eid gathering was NSU student Abir Rahman

Police have identified the suspected attacker of Sholakia Eid gathering, who was killed in a firefight, as a student of North South University (NSU).

Kamal Talukderbdnews24.com
Published : 8 July 2016, 11:46 AM
Updated : 8 July 2016, 04:02 PM

Kishoreganj SP Anwar Hossain Khan on Friday afternoon told bdnews24.com Abir Rahman, a BBA final-year student of the private university, had been missing since March.

He said Abir hailed from Comilla’s Debidwar and his father is Sirajul Islam. The family lived in Block-D at Bashundhara Residential Area in capital Dhaka.

The 22-year-old’s elder brother Ashikur Rahman identified him from the photos and videos published in the media, police’s Dhaka Range DIG SM Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman told bdnews24.com.

He said the family had lodged a General Diary (GD) with Bhatara police after he went missing in March.

After completing ‘A level’ from Bangladesh International Tutorial, Abir had enrolled at NSU for BBA degree.

Nibras Islam, one of the five suspected attackers of an upscale cafe in Dhaka’s Gulshan-2, was also a student of the NSU.

He was killed during an operation by army commandos to rescue the people Nibras and the four others had taken hostage on the night of Jul 1.

After SITE Intelligence Group published the suspected terrorists’ photos reportedly released by militant group Islamic State, former classmates started identifying Nibras. They had posted a combination of his photo to go with the ‘IS-released’ picture.

Two police constables were killed when a police detachment guarding the Sholakia Eidgah ground came under a bomb attack on Thursday morning, minutes before the main prayers began in the country’s largest Eid congregation.

A Hindu housewife also died from a stray bullet during the gunfight between police and the attackers.

One of the terrorists, now identified as Abir Rahman, was also killed after police traded heavy gunfire.

He was wearing a loose-fitting robe that had ‘secret pockets’ to carry weapons, the law enforcers said.

RAB detained another youth with bullet wound as a suspect on Thursday.

He has been identified as Shafiul Islam alias Abu Mokaddel from a madrasa in northern district of Dinajpur. RAB said Shafiul took part in the attack on orders from his 'group leader'.

Two of the Dhaka cafe attackers have also been identified as madrasa students from another northern district – Bogra.

All five cafe attackers, whose photos the IS reportedly released, had been missing or not contacting their families for months, relatives say.

After their going missing came to light, parents of 10 youths, who have been missing for several months, have urged them to come back.

They have also sought police help to find them.

The 10 missing youths are Mohammad Bashruzzaman from Tejgaon in Dhaka, Zunaid Khan from Badda, Nazibullah Ansari from Chanpainawabganj, Ashraf Mohammad Islam from Dhaka, Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury from Sylhet, Ibrahim Hasan Khan from Dhaka, ATM Tajuddin from Lakkhipur, Zubaidur Rahim from Dhanmondi in Dhaka, Mohammad Saifullah Ojaki from Sylhet and Junnun Shikder.

The security forces have alerted the parents to many youths from rich families leaving their homes to join militant groups.   

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has urged the guardians to inform the police if any of the children in their families are missing.