Police on Sunday said they were trying to find out Mohammad Imtiaz, who allegedly rented the militants' den at Ashkona in the capital where two suspected militants died during a police raid-one was shot dead by the law enforcers and the other, a woman, who blew herself up-on Saturday.
Jonaki Rasel, daughter of house owner of Ashkona hideout, said a man named Imtiaz rented this house in September. The owner of the three-storey building, Jamal Hossain, is a Bangladeshi living in Kuwait.
But police on Sunday confirmed that Maynul Musa, a listed militant who escaped police dragnet during Saturday's raid, had
rented the first-floor apartment for the militants.
Monirul Islam, chief of police's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, said on Sunday, "We think that the woman (who exploded the suicide vest) was planning a suicide hit soon." "All the bombs lying about in the militants' den have been neutralised," he added.
After Saturday's raid and death of two militants at the busted den, law enforcers completed the disposal of 19 bombs and two suicide vests on Sunday evening and made an announcement in this regard.
Meanwhile, body of one of the militants - Afif Kaderi, son of militant Tanvir Kaderi who committed suicide during police action earlier - was still inside the first-floor flat of the house that law enforcers suspect was used as an office. "We think he committed suicide. A pistol is lying beside his body," Monirul said.
The ground floor flat used by the militants is in volatile condition as gas is coming out of one of the rooms where the body of the militant Afif Kaderi is still lying, Proloy Kumar Joardar, Deputy Commissioner of CTTC unit, told reporters at the scene on Sunday afternoon.
The law enforcers could not recover Afif's body on Saturday night as gas was gushing out of the room, he said without mentioning the source of the gas.
Law enforcers were able to take control of two rooms of the three-roomed flat, he added. Teams of CTTC, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) crime scene investigators and Bomb Disposal Unit members of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) took part in the operation.
Besides dead "militant" Shaira, two other women -- wife of Maj (Retd) Zahid, allegedly the trainer of Gulshan and Sholakia attackers, and wife of "Neo JMB" leader Maynul Musa -- surrendered with two babies. After Shaira's death, Afif alias Ador alias Abir opened fire at police from inside the flat.
Forensic experts have completed autopsy on the body of Shaira, who blew herself up during Saturday's raid on the Ashkona militants' den. Dhaka Medical College Hospital(DMCH)'s forensic chief Sohel Mahmud said they have found splinters and bomb particles in the body.
"The abdominal area has been crushed as explosives tied to the waist were detonated. It seems to be something like a hand-made grenade," said Mahmud, an assistant professor.
Shaira's minor daughter who was also wounded in the blow up, was struggling for life at DMCH hospital on Sunday. She is at the post-operative ward after surgery, they said.
Mahmud said they have collected bomb particles, splinters as well as samples from Shaira's teeth and hair.
Splinters, ball bearings and other metallic objects were found in her body during the autopsy, Samples from the body's thigh muscle and hair were taken for DNA tests, he added.
Resident Doctor Jasmine Nahar said, "Splinters from the explosion had perforated the 4-year old girl's oesophagus (food pipe) in 10-12 places. There are also fractures on her arms. She is not yet out of danger."
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Sunday said sacked army Major Syed Ziaul Haque and Nurul Islam Marzan, who had played vital roles in Gulshan café attack and other targeted killings will be arrested soon.
The Dhaka city police Commissioner said they are conducting drives to arrest "Neo JMB" leader Maynul Musa.
"Neo JMB" leader Maynul Musa is a listed criminal and who according to police escaped Saturday's raid in Ashkona is expected to be arrested soon," Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia told journalists while visiting Kakrail Church on Sunday
morning.
