RAB arrests Holey Artisan attack suspect Mamunur Rashid Ripon

RAB says the militant arrested from a bus in Gazipur’s Board Bazar area has been identified as absconding Holey Artisan attack suspect Mamunur Rashid Ripon.

RAB Law and Media Branch Director Mufti Mahmud Khan told bdnews24.com: “He was arrested around 1 am on Sunday aboard a bus travelling from Haluaghat to Dhaka.”

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Kanak Barua granted the RAB five days to grill Ripon in custody in a case started in April last year over a “secret meeting of militants” in Dhaka’s Basabo, an official at the police’s prosecution department told bdnews24.com.

According to law enforcers, Ripon aka Rezaul Karim aka Reza is a top tier neo-JMB leader.

Investigators say Ripon was responsible for supplying arms, explosives and money to the militants who carried out the attack on the Holey Artisan Bakery in Gulshan on Jul 1, 2016.

According to Mufti Mahmud Khan, Ripon was in possession of Tk 150,000 at the time of his arrest.

At a press conference at the RAB Media Centre on Sunday, the law enforcers said that Ripon was 31-years-old and hailed from Bogura. His father’s name is Nasir Uddin.

Ripon studied at several madrasas in Bogura, Naogaon and Dhaka’s Mirpur before he received the ‘Daorae Hadis’ Qawmi Madrasa degree from Chapainawabganj’s Madrasatul Darul Hadis.

Ripon received a job at a computer training centre named Bogura Cyber Tech after completing an office application course there. During his employment he was introduced to militancy by a JMB Amir named Dr Nazrul, RAB said.

“Dr Nazrul then gave him the name Ripon as part of his identity in the organisation. Before that he was known as Rashid. He was initially tasked with raising funds for the group,” said Mufti Mahmud Khan.

He initially raised funds through robbery, the RAB official said.

“He [Ripon] has spoken of three cases of robbery thus far. Stealing Tk 600,000 from bKash, Tk 100,000 from a cigarette vendor and stealing another Tk 100,000 in a Gaibandha incident.”

On the night of Jul 1, 2016 a group of five young men shot and slaughtered 20 people, including 20 foreign nationals. The incident highlighted the danger of militancy in the country.

Five attackers were killed in a commando operation the following day. They were identified as Nibras Islam, Rohan Ibne Imtiaz, Meer Saameh Mubasheer, Khairul Islam Payel and Shafiqul Islam.

On Jul 23, 2018, two years after the incident, the police Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes Unit Inspector Humayun Kabir identified 21 people in connection with the attack and submitted a charge sheet against eight living suspects.

Suspect Mamunur Rashid Ripon

According to the investigation report, the attack was carried out by Neo-JMB militants after six months of planning. The goal was to create ‘unrest’ in the country and transform it into a ‘militant state’.

The Dhaka Anti-Terrorism Tribunal took cognisance of the charges on Nov 26 of last year, starting the trial.

Six of the accused, Jahangir Alam alias Rajib Gandhi, Rakibul Hasan Regan, Rashedul Islam alias Rash, Sohel Mahfuz, Mizanur Rahman alias Baro Mizan and Hadisur Rahman Sagar, were brought to the court for the indictment.

Two other suspects, Shahidul Islam Khan and Mamunur Rashid Ripon, were absconding at the time. The trial proceeded in their absence. The court issued warrants against them and ordered their property to be seized.

The police Counter Terrorism Unit had previously said that they believed Khaled and Ripon had fled across the border to India.

According to a report from Indian publication Andandabazar in early 2017, Indian detective agencies believed that Khaled and Ripon were attempting to develop militant groups in West Bengal under the aliases ‘Abu Sulaiman’ and ‘Banglar Bagh 2’.

Law enforcers do not yet know of the whereabouts of Khaled.

According to the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, those convicted under the law may be granted death sentences.

PLAN TO SNATCH AWAY ARRESTED SUSPECTS

Mufti Mahmud Khan said the Neo-JMB tasked Ripon with reorganising the group and carrying out more attacks after returning from India for “his loyalty”.   

He also skillfully arranged the “basic needs for terrorist attacks” like money, arms and ammunition and training, which Khan said is another reason behind the group putting its trust in Ripon.

“We have information that they planned to snatch away militants like they did in 2014,” the RAB official said, referring to the attack on a prison van at Trishal in Mymensingh Feb 23, 2014, when three JMB leaders were taken away.

The three were Rakibul Hasan and Salauddin Salehin alias Sunny, and bomb expert 'Mizan'.

Rakibul was recaptured on the same day and shot dead in a so-called ‘crossfire’ during the raid. Police announced Tk 500,000 reward for information leading to the capture of each of the fugitives - Salehin and Mizan.

The arrested suspects are being carried to and from the court as the hearing of the Holey Artisan case is under way, Khan noted.

He said the Trishal incident had “greatly inspired the militants”.