Arresting Salauddin Ahmed alias Salehin ameer, of the banned Islamic outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and sacked army major Syed Ziaul Haque, has become a big challenge for the police.
A large group of miscreants intercepted a prison van, opened fire on police, killed a constable, and snatched away three prisoners including Salehin from Mymnasingh's Trishal upazila on 23 Fabruary 2014.
Bangladeshi law enforcers including the Indian National Investigating Agency (NIA) are trying to trace out Salehin. However, the NIA's focus now has been concentrated to track down JMB chief Salauddin alias Salehin , the death row convict who was snatched from a prison van , according to sources.
Salehin is reportedly re-organizing the JMB with more competent men.
The disclosure comes months after a JMB offshoot, "Neo JMB" as law enforcers call it, reportedly carried out two deadly terror attacks in Gulshan and Sholakia.
Law enforcers believe "Boma" Mizan, an explosives expert, is also hiding in India. Hafez Mahmud, Khulna divisional commander of JMB and condemned to death, has been killed in an operation.
Another faction of the Neo JMB's chief Abdullah Al-Tasnim Nahid Tasnim was arrested along with six accomplices on September 19, 2014.
Zia has been on the run ever since his expulsion from the army after the failed 2012 coup. Although initially he was linked with banned Islamist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir, he has turned out to be one of the top leaders of Ansarullah Bangla Team.
Law enforcers said , it is difficult to deal with Ansarullah Bangla Team(ABT) given the way it operates. They have blamed tactics used by Zia,, ABT is well trained and has more knowledge about new technologies.
Police officials said Zia has organised the militant organisation more effectively after joining Ansarullah. Bangladesh Police announced Tk20 lakh bounty for him last year while the government banned Zia-led ABT.
They said Zia was training his group's members in guerrilla fighting. Their primary goal is 'targeted killing', which the group started four years ago.
Police officials said the group's main targets are bloggers, atheists, secularists, politicians and media personalities. The militant group may become more violent in future.
Zia was the main trainer. The members are trained on guerrilla warfare, arrested ABT members confirmed to the law enforces. They are mainly trained in two categories - collecting intelligence information and taking part in attacks.
Another CTTC official said they were surprised after learning about the tactics ABT followed. During training, the members are told that they cannot stay with another member and they have to stay in mess or houses where other residents all came from normal families. Zia, too, does not go anywhere until he is 100% sure of his safety.
Law enforces said the "Neo JMB", which is inspired by IS ideologies, was responsible for the July 1 Gulshan café siege in which 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners, were killed.
