Bangladesh police have arrested five alleged Islamic militants on Wednesday for plotting New Year attack. Police seized explosives and bomb making materials from them.
The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of Bangladesh Police on Tuesday night arrested the terrorists from the banned Neo-Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh from Mirpur area.
Head of the counter-terrorism police unit, Monirul Islam said in a news conference, “They planned to attack on New Year’s Eve.”
He didn’t say anything about the militants and how they planned to attack. Islam said police seized 60 kg of explosives from them.
The militants paraded before the media but did not say anything to the reporters.
Authorities banned all outdoor gatherings in Dhaka from dusk on 31st December to dawn 1st January.
Neo-JMB is an offshoot of the banned militant group Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The group was allegedly involved in the July 1 Dhaka cafe attack in which 22 people including 19 foreigners were killed.
Many JMB activists and leaders have been arrested and six top leaders including Shaikh Abdur Rahman were hanged in 2007.
Militant attacks have been increased in Bangladesh over the past few years. The militants killed several prominent liberal writers and members of religious minorities.
Since the cafe attack police have killed more than 40 militants including the Dhaka cafe mastermind, Bangladesh born Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury.
