Terror suspect Abdullah isolated himself a month before death, neighbours say

Abdullah, the terror suspect who set off a series of suicide blasts killing himself and six others in his flat, had isolated himself from his neighbours at Mazar Road a month before the incident.

A dangerous militant according to the Rapid Action Battalion, the 45-year-old used to play football regularly at the city corporation yard in the Mirpur neighbourhood.

But locals said he stopped coming nearly a month before the RAB surrounded the building housing his flat on Monday night.

The two-day anti-terror operation ended with a series of powerful suicide blasts that killed Abdullah, his two wives, two children and two unknown accomplices, according to RAB.

Abu Sayeed, a 35-year-old businessman, said he played football with Abdullah for six years. "But we have not seen him at the field for a month," he told bdnews24.com.

"He appeared distant and sad when he walked the alleys. I tried speaking to him but he would say very little."

A street-food seller also remembered his encounter with the middle-aged man, a long-time resident of the area.

"He came to my Chatpati store all the time. He used to tell me to pray. His wives came with him but their faces were always covered with veil."

"I used to play football with him too. But I have not seen him there for a month."

RAB had tried to dissuade the suspect from suicide with repeated pleas for surrender, but Abdullah, despite asking for time, eventually set off the blasts on Tuesday night. The powerful blasts had lit up the area.

As RAB searched the charred floors of the building, it found seven human skulls and body parts scattered in the fifth storey flat.

Abdullah's children, 10-year-old 'Osama' and 9-year-old 'Omar', are believed to be among the dead. Osama studied at Madani Kindergarten, a neighbourhood madrasa, locals said, but could not provide further information on him.

RAB said it came to know about Abdullah after questioning a militant leader of the revived faction of the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh or JMB last year.

But his address was found much later, officials have said. He sold pigeons and repaired electronics for a living.

He had been an active member of the JMB since 2005 and played a huge role in its revival in 2012.

"He basically arranged lodging and food for militants and helped them with money. His flat has been used as a training spot in many instances," said RAB chief Benazir Ahmed.

"Top militant leaders like Sarwar Zahan, Tamim Chowdhury and Soheil Mahfuz have stayed in his flat."

His father is Chuadanga's Mir Yusuf Ali. Abdullah had six brothers and one sister 'Meherunnesa', who was with him in the flat.

But Abdullah had asked RAB to evacuate her, while he held on to his wives and children.