Dinajpur madrasa student ‘took part in Sholakia attack on chieftain’s orders’

A wounded madrasa student from Dinajpur detained with arms after the Sholakia attack has said he came to Kishoreganj ‘on orders from his chieftain to accomplish an assignment’.

Two policemen died when the attackers hurled bombs at a police team near the Sholakia ground just before the largest Eid congregation of Bangladesh started on Thursday morning.

A woman died in stray bullet during a gunfight following the blasts.

A suspected attacker was also killed. Police said they found a ‘secret pocket to keep arms’ in his loose-fitting dress.

They arrested two suspected attackers while RAB detained another with bullet wound and a pistol.

RAB-14’s Major Saiful Sajjad identified the bullet-hit suspect as Shafiul Islam, 19, alias Abu Mokaddel.

“He (Shafiul) has said he came from a madrasa at Ghorhaghat in Dinajpur. He was supposed to sit Alim test but did not.”

Sajjad also said there were five other attackers with him but he did not know them.

“Their ‘Ostad’ gave them an assignment here,” Sajjad said, referring to the information Shafiul gave during initial interrogation.

The RAB official could not say what the assignment was.

IED again

The bombs used in Sholakia are similar to those used by Islamic militants in several previous attacks, RAB spokesman Mufti Mahmud Khan has said

“Militants use IED (Improvised Explosive Device). These are handmade but high-powered. The same thing happened in Sholakia,” Khan said. 

IEDs were also used in the attack on a Dhaka cafe last Friday, according to the Army.

After last year’s attack on a Shia gathering, security forces said the militants used handmade grenades.

Police said the Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militants were involved in both attacks.

‘Stoic’ even after hit

RAB official Sajjad said Shafiul was detained in a bloodied state, but he was visibly ‘unruffled’ by his wounds or the consequences he would face.

“I’ve spoken to him. He had no fear. He was hit by a bullet but was in no pain,” Sajjad said.

“It means he has been brainwashed so much that he thinks this is jihad on the path of Islam, though Islam actually doesn’t allow this,” he added.