Police hunt ‘Bomaru Mamun’ over blasts

Police are hunting Nazmul Hasan Mamun, alias “Bombmaker Mamun”, over several recent explosions and bomb recoveries in and around Dhaka.

He was arrested in a militancy case nine years ago but secured bail after Aug 5, 2024.

Police say Mamun, a “Neo-JMB” member, was arrested at 21 for making bombs.

A suicide blast from a bomb he allegedly made killed Saiful Islam at Hotel Olio in Panthapath in 2017.

A Dhaka court acquitted Mamun and all other suspects in the Hotel Olio case in January, describing them as “leaders and activists opposing the previous fascist government”.

Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Additional Deputy Commissioner (Investigation) Main Uddin Chowdhury said Mohammad Arif, alias Imran, arrested in Savar on Tuesday night with bombs and bomb-making materials, was Mamun’s protégé.

“Arif is about 26. After arresting him, we raided his house. We are still trying to arrest his mentor, Nazmul Hasan Mamun.”

Police now link Mamun and Arif to several incidents: a December blast while bombs were being made at a Keraniganj madrasa; a February attack on police in Jatrabari, when a suspect fled leaving behind a bomb bag; a March blast at a Shiva temple in Cumilla; and another explosion during a police search in Sayedabad.

Police also say the pair were involved in planting a pipe bomb near Motijheel Metro Station during a Hindu festival procession in July and leaving a pressure-cooker bomb at a tea stall in Ashulia’s Charabag.

On Wednesday morning, police recovered another pressure-cooker bomb from a drum in a field near Gopairbari Laltek Ghora Mosque in Savar.

After Arif’s arrest, CTTC raided his rented room in Shyampur until nearly 2am, recovering several pipe bombs and chemicals.

He had rented the room on Aug 5 under the name Abbas Ali, claiming to be a driver.

The landlord’s daughter, known only as Ilma, said Arif paid Tk 4,000 monthly rent and Tk 1,000 in advance. He was rarely seen during the day and secretly brought in chemicals including acetone and hydrogen peroxide to make TATP, a highly unstable explosive.

A CTTC official said TATP can explode under high pressure, heat or even sound.

How Mamun Was Acquitted
Police arrested Mamun in Uttara on Dec 31, 2017, identifying him as a “shura member” of Neo-JMB.
The case stemmed from the Aug 15, 2017 Hotel Olio operation, when a suspected militant detonated a bomb while police tried to arrest him, killing himself and damaging the building.

Police later identified him as Saiful Islam and charged 13 people under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Eleven were eventually tried, with nine reportedly giving confessional statements.

On Jan 5 this year, a Dhaka tribunal acquitted all 11.

The court said they were “leaders and activists opposing the previous fascist government” and expressed doubts about the case’s credibility, citing alleged political motives.

Arif’s Hideout
CTTC officials say Mamun and Arif previously operated from Charabag. After a pressure-cooker bomb was left at a tea stall there on Jul 30, they rented the Shyampur house and moved their bomb-making materials there.

Police say the pair are part of a wider “sinister network”. They also linked Mamun to a December explosion at a Keraniganj madrasa where a bomb-making workshop was allegedly operating.

CTTC Additional Commissioner Mohammad Shamsul Haque said investigations were ongoing.

“We will try to bring anyone whose name emerges in the investigation under the law,” he told bdnews24.com.

Asked about Mamun, he added: “We are still trying to arrest him.”�"bdnews24