Bangladesh: Police files against 2 unknown for Ahmadiya Mosque attack in Rajshahi

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"We are quite certain now that the two youths were inside the mosque during the attack. One of them died in the blast while the other fled."

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | Int'l Desk
Source/Credit: Daily Observer
By Mamunur Rashid & Rafiqul Hasan Firoz
Posted: December 26, 2015

Police filed cases against two unknown assailants over Friday's bomb blast inside a mosque belonging to the Ahmadiya Muslim Jamaat in Baghmara upazila after autopsy report confirmed the dead youth as an attacker. The incident took place at Syedpur Monchmail Chalkpara under Baghmara upazila of the district during the Juma prayer at noon. The identification of the deceased, suspected attacker, aged about 24, could not be confirmed yet, but the investigation is on.

Police are yet to ascertain the identity of any of the two attackers (including the dead), but sources spoke of the suspected link to banned Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

Prof Dr Enamul Haque, of the Forensic Department of Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, told the daily Observer that there was clear evidence that the dead youth was the one carrying the bomb. Now the body is in the freezer of the mortuary of the hospital. If the identity is not confirmed by Sunday (December 27), the body will be buried as of an unknown person, he added. Meanwhile, an explosive belt seized from the dead youth on Friday after the blast suggests that it was a detailed and planned case of suicide bombing. Abdullah Al Mahmud, Additional Deputy Inspector General of Police of Rajshahi Range, said the belt contained unexploded explosives. Md Masud Ali, a Sub-Inspector of Bagmara Police Station, filed the lawsuit against two unknown assailants, said Motiar Rahman, Officer-in-Charge of the PS. Case statement quoted witnesses as saying there were two attackers in the Chokpara Ahmadiyya Jamaat Mosque. "We are quite certain now that the two youths were inside the mosque during the attack. One of them died in the blast while the other fled," he added.

Several locals who were inside the mosque when the bomb exploded on Friday said that right after the blast they saw two jeans-clad youths rushing out of the mosque. But OC Rahman on Saturday said police had heard of only one person fleeing the scene.

On the other hand, Member of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-5 in a drive arrested two persons from Mosmoil Syedpur area of the upazila in connection with the mosque bomb blast incident. The arrested were identified as Shoidul and Arshaf, both are residents of the same area of the upazila.

Talking to this correspondent Deputy Commander Maj Abdus Salam of RAB-5, said that Member of RAB-5 in a drive held two persons from Mosmoil Sayedpur area of the upazila for interrogation only. They will be released after questioning, the officer added.

In this regard, OC Motiar Rahman said on information, police rushed to the spot and recovered a belt-like object from the body of the attacker. One of his hands was also blown off in the bomb explosion. Later, the injured rushed to the Upazila Health Complex immediately. Among them, Sayeb Ali, 36, Moyez Uddin, 40 and Noyan, 12, a Class V student were admitted to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital (RMCH). The condition of Moyez and Sayeb was stated to be critical, hospital sources said. This attack on the Ahmadiyya mosque followed a series of blasts on Hindu temples and attack on a Christian pastor in the northern district of Dinajpur - adjacent to Rajshahi. Earlier this month, blasts were carried out at an Iskcon temple and Kantaji temple. One of the attackers caught red-handed is a suspected JMB militant who confessed to his involvement. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Saturday said Friday's bomb attack on the Ahmadiyya mosque was linked to all other terrorist attacks in the past. The Home Minister claimed 'all these incidents are similar and linked,' and added 'there is an international conspiracy behind it.'

The Minister was speaking at a programme organised by Crime Reporters Association of Bangladesh (CRAB) at Dhaka Reporters Unity (DRU). He also claimed, "We have indentified those and have arrested those involved in all past incidents. These incidents are taking place to stir up instability in the country." Meanwhile, no terrorist or militant group claimed responsibility for the attack so far. Previous militant attacks had been followed by statements claiming that the militant group Islamic State was responsible for them. A Japanese national, Kunio Hoshi, was murdered on October 3 in Rangpur after Italian citizen Cesare Tavella had been killed in Dhaka on September 28.

A procession of the Shia community came under attack on October 24 in Dhaka and an attempt was made on the life of Italian cleric Piero Parolari on November 18 in Dinajpur.

A Muezzin was killed and three others were injured in the attack on the Shia mosque on November 26 in Bogra and two temples were attacked in Dinajpur in December.

Police claim that members of outlawed militant outfit JMB were involved in most of the attacks. Bagmara in Rajshahi was a stronghold of JMB leader Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, who was hanged on March 30 in 2007, for bomb attacks and killings.

http://www.observerbd.com/2015/12/27/127930.php

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