Five top militants linked to a banned Islamist extremist group behind the July attack on an upmarket cafe in Dhaka that killed 22 people, including an Indian girl, have been arrested, Bangladesh police said today.
The militants - among them a trainer, an explosive expert and a finance coordinator - belonged to the Jamaat-ul- Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and were arrested from Dhaka's Uttara area, Mufti Mahmud Khan, director (media), at Rapid Action Battalion headquarters, told reporters.
Those arrested were identified as Abdul Hakim Faridi, 40, Rajibul Islam, 29, Gazi Kamrus Salam Sohan, 27, Md Sohel Rana, 23, and Sheikh Md Abu Saleh, 42, - of Sarwar-Tamim faction.
Sohan, an electrical engineer from a reputed university, is said to be an explosive expert, the Dailystar reported. He is said to have had trained militants in explosive making.
Faridi is said to be a former top-level leader of the Ansarullah Bangla Team. His role was said to have been moral instructor who preached and strengthened the moral fibre of the militants.
Abu Saleh is said to be the physical trainer of the militants - an expert in karate.
Elite force Rapid Action Battalion arrested the five from Uttara last night, the Rab official said.
The JMB, which is said to be ideologically inclined towards Islamic State group, had claimed responsibility for the siege at Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka's Gulshan area that killed 22 people. An Indian girl was among 17 foreigners killed in the attack.
Separately IS and al-Qaeda too had claimed the attack. But the Bangladesh government has repeatedly denied their presence and claimed the attack was carried out by home-grown militant groups: JMB and another group called Ansarullah Bangla Team.
In August, police killed the mastermind of the attack.
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