One of victims a JMB man, family members quizzed

The identity of one of the militants killed in a bomb explosion in a house at Juanpur Kuthibari village in Sherpur upazila on Sunday was confirmed by police in Bogra on Monday night.

Police got the identity from a seized passport found in the house during a search by the bomb disposal unit of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime on Monday morning.

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The deceased was identified as JMB member Tariqul Islam, son of Abu Bakker of Jamua village in Shiyalkot union under Sadar upazila of Sirajganj district and ex-student of Islami University of Kustia.

Police detained three brothers and a sister of the killed JMB man and took them to the office of Superintendent of Police (SP) of Bogra for interrogation on Monday night.

The detained siblings are Md Sanaullah, 44, principal officer of Islami Bank Limited, Ullapara branch, Liakat Ali, 41, assistant teacher of Jamua Government Primary School, Barkat Ullah and their sister Shakera Khatun.

Sanaullah said Tariqul was the youngest of six brothers and police arrested him in 2005 for blasting bombs at Sirajganj court premises on August 17, 2005, during the series of bomb attacks across the country.

Tariqul was released from jail three years later. He went missing after Eid-ul-Azha. His family filed a General Diary with Sadar Police Station in Sirajganj in connection with his missing, Sanaullah added.

Contacted, Arifur Rahman Mondal, additional superintendent of police (Crime) of Bogra, said Tariqul was a member of JMB and police will interrogate his family members to get more information.

Two militants, including Tariqul, were killed in a bomb explosion while they were making a bomb in Bogra on Sunday night.

Following the blast, personnel of the bomb disposal unit seized 20 grenades, four pistols, six magazines, 40 bullets and a huge amount of explosive-making materials from the house on Monday.

Sayfuzzaman Faruki, additional superintendent of police (ASP) of Bogra (West), said three cases were lodged under explosive, arms and anti-terrorism acts with Sherpur Police Station yesterday noon, accusing the two deceased, owner of the house Mizanur Rahman, and some unidentified people.

Police have been conducting drives in Bogra and surrounding districts to arrest the accused, added the ASP.