The root of the Neo-JMB, the combined platform of militants, has roots in the banned Jama'atul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI) and Hizb ut Tahrir (HuT), according to police sources.
Police identified the spiritual leader of the born-again outfit as sacked army major Syed Mohammad Ziaul Haque and Bangladesh-born Canadian citizen Tamim Chowdhury aka Abu Yousuf Banglai.
Police said that Maj (sacked)Zia and Tamim are the masterminds of the Gulshan café and Sholakia attacks. The Nobya JMB (Neo-JMB) as a militant group emerged recently in the country. Its operation heads were identified as snatched condemned convicts Salahuddin alias Salehin, the JMB in-charge of Sylhet-Mymensingh region and Jahidul Islam alias 'Boma' Mizan, an explosives expert of the outlawed group.
A large group of miscreants intercepted, in film style, a prison van, opened fire on police, killed a constable and snatched away Salehin and 'Boma' Mizan in 2014. Police failed to arrest them till date.
The Neo-JMB used hi-tech apps and also used own website At-tamkin, the authority blocked the website but within 10 to 12 hours they created another website for their activities, sources told the Daily Observer recently.
Masiuddin alias Musa who was arrested by Indian police confessed to a team of Bangladeshi police that he had links with Mohammad Suleiman, an important member of the JMB module in Bangladesh, who had played a crucial role in the recent terror attack on a restaurant in Dhaka's Gulshan. "Suleiman is believed to have played a crucial role in the Dhaka terror attack... And after grilling Masiuddin it was found that Musa was quite close to him.
Masiuddin, also called Abu Al Musa by leaders of the terror group, was close to the former chief of the Islamic State (IS) in the country Shafi Armar, and met Suleiman at an event in Malda four months ago, the officer said.
During interrogation by the state CID, NIA and the IB, Masiuddin had disclosed his connection with top leaders of at least two terror groups and admitted that he had been assigned to spread their tentacles in West Bengal and other places in the eastern part of the country.
Masiuddin was using a mobile application to keep in touch with top leaders of terror groups in those countries, CID had said.
Mufti Maulana Shahidul Islam, the leader of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B), controls the network from abroad. Mufti Maulana Shahidul fled the country after he was convicted in the Ramna Batamul Bomb Blast case.
The operation commander of (HuJI-B) has entered the country, law enforcers confirmed.
Both local residents and foreigners are recruited into the HuJI-B. Besides, refugees from Myanmar are a significant source of cadres for the outfit. They include stateless Rohingyas, whose families have fled Myanmar over the years allegedly due to religious persecution.
A senior official of the intelligence agency told this correspondent on Thursday that they are collecting information from the grassroots members of the Neo-JMB. The militants mainly recruit people though social media, including Facebook, RAB said, quoting the arrested. Finding out like-minded people browsing their Facebook pages, they send different types of articles and videos, including those that entice people to wage Jihad.
Members of the group use codenames for communication. It is forbidden to ask personal details in the group. At one stage, they are asked if they are ready to abandon their families, relatives and jobs and join the Jihad.
Gunmen, allegedly belonging to Islamic State, stormed Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's diplomatic zone on July 1 and killed 20 hostages, mostly foreign nationals. Two police officials also died that night.
