Police analyse robber’s ‘blueprints’ of Bangladesh Commerce Bank

Police have recovered two ‘blueprints’ used by robbers in the gruesome attack on Bangladesh Commerce Bank’s Ashulia branch in last April.

Golam Mujtaba Dhrubabdnews24.com
Published : 1 June 2015, 11:29 AM
Updated : 1 June 2015, 01:47 PM

The hand-drawn sketches of the bank’s interior were found when police raided a house at Tongi’s Aushparha.

The law enforcers came to know about the maps from suspects they interrogated over the incident.

One of the sketches matches the design of the bank’s first floor, Dhaka District Assistant Superintendent of Police Nazmul Hasan Firoz told bdnews24.com.

The ‘circles’ mean people, ‘Toy’ stands for toilet and ‘MG’ was used to mark the bank manager’s room. The entry and exit routes were also drawn.

Police are working to decipher the other sketch, said ASP Nazmul. “That may lead us to more information.”

A gang of robbers attacked Bangladesh Commerce Bank’s branch at Ashulia’s Kathgorha bazaar on Apr 21. They exploded bombs before shooting and hacking three to death including the bank’s manager and security guard.

The men, getting away after looting cash, were stopped by locals outside. Four died when robbers open fired and blasted explosives.

Two robbers fell off their getaway motorcycle after locals chased them. One was beaten to death by a mob and the other died two days later in a hospital.

Police, after analysing the nature of the heist, suspected extremists were involved.

Several among the 11 suspects arrested are members of banned extremist group – Ansarullah Bangla Team.

On Saturday night, police arrested one Mahfuzul Islam Shamim, a top Ansarullah leader. Police said he was the attack’s ‘operation commander’.

Shamim planned the heist at his rented house in Aushparha and led the attack, said ASP Nazmul.

Another suspected robber Al Amin Hossain, while testifying in court under Section 164, said Shamim led the attack.

JMB to Ansarullah

Two years ago, police raided a training camp in Bogra by banned militant group Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

Shamim, then a JMB operative, had managed to flee with weapons, police said.

Detectives say Shamim and several of his followers joined Ansarullah Bangla Team over a rivalry with JMB operative Salauddin.

Salauddin is a death row convict who was among the three JMB radicals freed from a prison van attacked at Mymensingh’s Trishal last year.

“Shamim was also involved in the incident when a person was killed and Tk 500,000 of bKash money hijacked at Gazipur’s Boardbazar on Mar 10,” said ASP Nazmul.

He had not been arrested before, but confessed to murders and other crimes during primary interrogation, police said.

Shamim confessed to being involved in several crimes when he was taken to court on Sunday.

The Aushparha hideout

“The Ashulia heist was pre-planned,” said ASP Nazmul.

“Ansarullah Bangla Team members did this to increase funds and scare the public.”

Police kept watch on an area at Aushparha for two days after getting a tip-off.  A one-storey house was soon identified as the robbers’ ‘hideout’, where the two sketches were found.

Shamim, ‘Operation in-charge’, rented the house four months before the robbery and lived there with his wife and some associates, said ASP Nazmul. 

The operatives would sell “cigarette lighters, torchlights and so-called energy boosting drugs”, while Shamim’s wife stayed alone at home. They would put the money into the group’s funds and spend the rest on themselves.

“Each of them was carrying a hand bomb and a knife during the heist. Two pistols and a two-bore rifle were also used. The weapons looked as if they were manufactured in China,” said the ASP.

“Police found similar knives, lead powder and tools to measure chemicals used for making bombs.”  

Shamim was asked why the victims were killed in that manner during the robbery. He told police he ‘didn’t do it for himself’. 

“He answered without care, ‘Sir, I’m with the organisation to please Allah, not for myself.”

“He put his head down when asked if the Holy Koran contained such directions.”