Border outposts in Bangladesh have been put on red alert to prevent the convicted Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militants, snatched from a police prison van at Trishal, from fleeing the country.
Published : 23 Feb 2014, 05:34 PM
In a truly filmy style hold-up, a large group of miscreants intercepted the van, opened fire on police killing a Constable, and snatched away three JMB convicts, two of them sentenced to death, on Sunday morning in Mymensingh district.
They freed up Jahidul Islam alias Boma Mizan, 38, Salauddin Salehin Alias Sunny, 38, Hafez Mahmud alias Raqib Hasan, 35.
Salauddin and Raqib are death row convicts and Jahidul Islam was sentenced to life imprisonment.
Police have already arrested one of the three militants from Tangail.
Unknown assailants bombed a police van in Trishal’s Sighboard around 10am while it was carrying the convicts from Gazipur’s Kashimpur Central Jail to a court in Mymensingh for a case hearing.
The red alert has been issued at the border outposts to stop the remaining two convicted JMB men from fleeing the country.
Police have announced Tk 200,000 as bounty for each of the three top militants freed in the daring daylight operation.
Acting Superintendent of Police (SP) of Tangail district Hasibul Alam told bdnews24.com that a man suspected to have been involved had been arrested from the Taktarchala of Mirzapur Upazila.
He was later identified as JMB activist Rakibul Hasan alias Hafiz Mahmud, 35.
Acting Superintendent of Police (SP) of Tangail district Hasibul Alam told bdnews24.com that two men suspected to have been involved had been from the Taktarchala area of Mirzapur Upazila.
They had identified themselves as ‘Raihan’ and ‘Rasel’. During a police interrogation, the latter admitted he was JMB activist Rakibul Hasan, alias Hafiz Mahmud, 35.
“There were marks of shackles on his throat, hands and legs. Besides, our suspicion was raised when we saw his beardless face.”
Raihan is from Muktagacha Upazila in Mymensingh district and was involved in freeing the JMB convicts, the police officer said.
Earlier, another suspect ‘Zakaria, alias ‘Milon’, 28, was arrested from Sakhipur area of Tangail. Police claimed he was the driver of one of the two cars used by the assailants during the operation.
Miscreants snatched the three convicts of the banned militant outfit from the prison van, killing Constable Atiqul Islam, 30, and injuring two other police personnel.
Inspector of Mymensingh Court Police Shahid Forkan said that the three JMB men were accused in a case filed in connection with a bomb explosion at Muktagacha in 2006.
Hours after the incident, police arrested a member of the group while he was trying to flee Mymensingh via Tangail.
Officer-in-Charge of Tangail’s Sakhipur Police Station Mokhlesur Rahman said that a black microbus crashed into a CNG-run auto-rickshaw at Proshika area near the Sakhipur municipality.
“The three convicted militants were in the car. The accused escaped the scene soon after the accident. We arrested the car driver, Zakaria, from there and seized a pistol, five rounds of bullets and six crude bombs from his possession.”
DIG (Dhaka Range) Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman said Zakaria, alias Milon, was from Chapainawabganj district. He was released from jail after getting bail four years ago.
"There are allegations that he is involved with the JMB. We’ve also got proof that he was also involved in incident that occurred in the morning,” the DIG said.
State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told reporters, “A red alert has been issued at the border outposts to stop the remaining two from fleeing the country. Our all-out efforts are on to arrest them. We hope to catch them soon.”
The junior minister said security would be beefed up while carrying or shifting such accused in the future.
DIG Nuruzzaman said that they had announced Tk 200,000 as bounty for each of the three top militants.
“After the Trishal incident, an alert has been issued in Mymensingh and its adjacent districts. “The police and intelligence agencies are jointly working to arrest the militants.”
Meanwhile, home ministry formed a four-member probe committee, headed by its Additional Secretary Nazim Uddin Chowdhury, to investigate the attack.
The other members of the committee are DIG (Dhaka Range) Mahfuzul Haque Nuruzzaman, DIG (police headquarters) Tipu Sultan and Deputy Secretary of the home ministry Khairul Kabir Menon.
The committee has been asked to submit its report within three days, Joint Secretary of the home ministry Iftekharul Islam Khan told bndews24.com.
Jailer of Rajshahi Central jail Islamil Hossain told bdnews24.com that there were over 100 convicted JMB militants in the jail. “Security arrangements have been beefed-up in and outside the jail, and a red alert has been issued to avert any untoward incident.”