New information emerges about Neo-JMB, 'spiritual leader' Kashem to be grilled for seven days

New information about how the Neo-JMB was launched four years ago has started to emerge after its ‘spiritual chief’ Maulana Abul Kashem has been taken to remand.

Police counter-terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam said they were going to dig out more information from Kashem during the remand.

The 60-year old Madrasa teacher from Dinajpur was arrested by two units of DMP’s counter-terrorism unit at Dhaka’s Senparha Parbata around 11 pm Thursday, police said on Friday.

He was on his way to make a bKash transaction when he was detained, counter-terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam said at a press conference.

Police have been granted seven days to question Kashem, who is believed to be the spiritual leader of the Neo-JMB.

He said Kashem was the one who ‘authorised' the attack on Gulshan’s Holey Artisan Cafe last year as ‘spiritual leader’.

“Initial questioning revealed that the Neo-JMB began militant activities in Bangladesh in 2013 through the joint efforts of Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and Maulana Md Abul Kashem,” Monirul said.

“More details will be known if we can question him,” the counter-terror head said, adding that JMB followers call him ‘Borho Hujur’.

On Friday afternoon, he was shown arrested at Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in an Anti-terrorism Act case connected to the Kalyanpur militant hideout raid.

Police asked for a 10-day remand, but Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Satyabrata Shikder granted seven days.

A person named Shayakh Abu Ibrahim al Hanif alias Abdur Rahman Ainal alias Sarwar Jahan jumped to his death from a five-storey building on Oct 8 last year and was identified as the leading figure of the Neo-JMB by RAB.

RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed had said at that time that the JMB was in disarray after the death of Siddikur Rahman 'Bangla Bhai' and Shayakh Abdur Rahman in 2007. The Neo-JMB came with a fresh vigour in 2014.

According to the RAB chief, Sarwar Jahan along with slain JMB leader Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury reorganised Neo-JMB, and Sarwar was made the leader of the organisation.

Benazir showed a leaflet which he had said was the manifesto of the neo-JMB.

But, police said Sarwar Jahan’s position in the organisation was below the deputies of Tamim Chowdhury.

Counter-terrorism chief Monirul said Maulana Abul Kashem was a madrasa teacher in Ranir Bandar area in Dinajpur and that he and his family members were involved with JMB activities.

After JMB leader Maulana Saidur Rahman was arrested in 2009, Kashem became the Amir of the group, Monirul said.

"With the joint efforts of Tamim Chowdhury and Abul Kashem the Neo-JMB launched its operation in 2013.”

He said when Tamim held a meeting in Rajshahi on return from Canada, Kashem was present there.

Monirul said they had been trying to arrest Kashem for a long time.

One of the Gulshan attack masterminds, Jahangir Alam alias Rajib Gandhi gave ‘enough information’ about Kashem, but police had raided the address ‘Rajib’ gave without any success.

“We got detailed information about Kashem after the attested of Mizan or Borho Mizan in March last year,” he said.