The US State Department wants to interrogate Jahangir Alam alias Rajiv Gandhi, a key leader of 'Neo JMB,' who was allegedly involved in the Holey Artisan cafe carnage in the capital's Gulshan on July 1 in 2016.
US officials said they were informed that one US citizen was involved in Holey Artisan terror attack. The State Department wrote to the Bangladesh Home and Foreign Ministries in March in this connection.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, "We forwarded the letter to the Police Headquarters for opinion, and after receiving the reply we will take a decision. The US also wanted to know the latest development in the investigation."
Jahangir had been identified by police as one of the masterminds of the attack on the Gulshan cafe last year along with Tamim Chowdhury, former Bangladesh Army Major Jahidul Islam, Tanvir Qaderi and Nurul Islam Marzan. Tamim, Jahidul, Tanvir and Marzan have been killed in encounters with security forces in the last few months.
The law enforcers have failed to arrest five other 'neo-JMB' men who were involved in the Holey Artisan cafe attack.
The investigation authorities have identified 21 neo-JMB men. Of them, 13 have already been killed in several raids conducted by the law enforcers over the last one year and three have been behind bars.
The law enforcing agency men have gunned down 57 armed militants in different operations across the country. The government has also made significant progress in combating militancy since the tragic terror attack in Gulshan café.
The law enforcers also detained 41 members of the banned militant outfits, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and neo-JMB, police officials told the Daily Observer.
"We have so far carried out 20 big anti-militant drives in different parts of the country after the Holey Artisan attack, in which 57 militants, mostly top leaders and operatives of the neo-JMB, were killed besides capturing 41 others," Assistant Inspector General of Police (Confidential) Md Moniruzzaman said.
He said 11 law enforcers were killed during the anti-militant drives while over 50 cases have so far been lodged relating to the killings.
The CTTC said the absconding militants are Sohel Mahfuz alias Hatkata Mahfuz alias Nasrullah, Hadisur Rahman alias Sagar, Basharuzzaman alias Chocolate, Mizanur Rahman alias Chhoto Mizan and Rashed alias Rash. They were leading members of the militant outfit, the CTTC added.
The three arrested persons -- Jahangir Alam alias Rajiv Gandhi, Rakibul Hasan Regan, and Mizanur Rahman alias Boro Mizan -- have already given confessional statements in court. Also, Hasnat Reza Karim, who was held hostage with his family during the militant attack, was also shown arrested in the case.
Another hostage during the attack, Tahmid Hasib Khan, was arrested under section 54 after the attack. Later, police cleared him from charges and was released from jail on October 5 last year.
Some 22 people, including 17 foreigners, were killed in the Gulshan cafe attack on July 1 last year and 32 members of law enforcers and 9 pedestrians were injured in the carnage.
Assistant Commissioner of the Detective Branch of Police Robiul Islam and Officer-in-Charge of Banani Police Station Salauddin Khan were also killed during the law enforcers' anti-militant raid at the cafe.
On the morning of July 2, five militants, including a chef of the Holey Artisan Bakery, Saiful Islam Chowkidar, were killed in an army commando raid. Another chef of the cafe succumbed to his injuries while being treated at a hospital.
The five militants who conducted the carnage at the Gulshan restaurant are BRAC University student Rohan Ibne Imtiaz, Scholastica student Mir Sameh Mobassher, student of Monash University in Malaysia, Nibras Islam, and a resident of Bogra Shafiqul Islam alias Ujjal and Khairul Islam alias Payel. All the attackers were killed in the commando raid on July 2.
Later, law enforcers killed the coordinator and mastermind of various militant attacks inside the country Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and other organisers of the attack, Nurul Islam alias Marzan, Maj (Retd) Zahidul Islam, Tanveer Kaderi Sarwar Jahan, Abu Raihan Abdullah alias Rony and Faridul Islam alias Akash.
