Blames homegrown Islamists, ISI for Dhaka terror attack; the terrorists – all between the ages of 20 and 25 – were from top schools and universities and had a good economic background
New Delhi : Even as the full details about the identity of the attackers have not been released by the Bangladesh authorities (only their first names have been put out), they have pointed an accusing finger at Pakistan’s powerful spy agency ISI in the terror attack on Dhaka’s upmarket café that led to the death of 20 people including a 19-year-old Indian student Tarishi Jain.
Spokespersons on behalf of the Bangladesh government have told news channels that the manner in which the hostages were killed suggests the role of a local terrorist group – the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen. “Pakstan’s ISI and Jamaat connection is well known…they want to derail the current government,” said a political advisor to the prime minister Sheikh Hasina adding “all victims were hacked to death like Jamaat and local terror groups do. They want to portray the country as a failed state by holding the people hostage at gunpoint.” The official pointed out that one of the terrorist chickened out at the last minute and was arrested and now he holds the key.
Bangladesh’s Information and Broadcasting minister Hassanul Haq Inna said that the terrorists – all between the ages of 20 and 25 – are from top schools and universities and come from a good economic background. “They are all Bangladeshis. They are from rich families, they have good educational background,” the minister told news agency Associated Press. All of them were students and communicated at the crime scene in both Bengali and English,” police source said.
The Bangladesh government has been at pains to claim that the ISIS has no presence in their country. This assertion comes in the wake of the IS’s claim that it was responsible for this attack. The political advisor added that they (the terrorists) had mobiles and tabs, which were used to upload the gruesome pictures and these were used by ISIS and others to claim responsibility”. One of the hostages has also reported that he saw the attackers were active on the internet on their devise when they target was on. The internet connection in the area was cut-off after a long time, he added.
Khan said “it has become a fashion” to become militants, the ‘Daily Star’ reported.
Police chief Shahidul Hoque said investigators will explore the possibility of “an international link”, but added “primarily, we suspect they are JMB members
Meanwhile, police have released the photos of the six gunmen killed during the raid by commandos. A seventh was arrested and is being interrogated by Bangladeshi intelligence officers.
Police chief AKM Shahidul Hoque said five of the dead gunmen were listed as militants and police had been looking for them.
Police identified them as Akash, Bikash, Don, Bandhon, and Ripon.
Bangladeshi media reports said that after US-based SITE Intelligence Group published photos of five gunmen holding assault rifles who, the Islamic State claims, killed the hostages, former classmates have started identifying by posting their old pictures on social media.
Warning “crusader countries” that their citizens would not be safe “as long as their aircraft are killing Muslims”, the ISIS also posted pictures of four fighters, who it said were involved in the attack, smiling in front of a black flag of the outfit.
According to the reports, three of the five attackers have so far been identified by their friends.
The gunmen did a background check on religion of the captives by asking them to recite Quranic verses and tortured those who could not do so. Announcing a two-day state mourning for those killed in the worst terror attack in the country, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina vowed to do everything to eliminate terrorists from the country and asked extremists to stop killing in the name of religion. She asked all, including the general public, to get united to resist a “handful of terrorists”.
The national flag was lowered at half mast as the country began two-day mourning period.
