JMB has at least 50 bomb experts now

All of them learnt the ropes from ‘Boma Mizan’
Law enforcers suspect there are at least 50 operatives in the militant Islamist organisation Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) who can make bombs, and almost all of them were trained by now detained Jahid Hossain Sumon alias ‘Boma Mizan’.
‘Boma Mizan’, key-explosives expert of the banned outfit, has already admitted to Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) that his prime job was to train the operatives in making bombs and grenades.
“We don’t have the actual number of JMB members trained in explosives but information given by JMB members arrested on different occasions suggest the number is not less than 50,” a top Rab official told The Daily Star yesterday.
“JMB has books for its members with bomb-making process described in those,” he said.
Seeking anonymity, he said almost all of the JMB men arrested with bombs and explosive substances admitted to investigators that they were trained by ‘Boma Mizan.’
Mizan joined the JMB in 2000 and since then his main job was to make bombs and grenades, and train activists in the use of explosives. He is also an expert in small arms like pistol and revolver, the Rab official mentioned.
He has confessed to the crime busting force that he had eight pistols in his possession, of which two were seized by Rab during its raid on two JMB dens at Uttar Pireerbagh and Monipur of Mirpur in the capital on Friday and the day before.
He also told Rab during primary interrogation that he had given six pistols to JMB members.
“We’re expecting vital information from Mizan as he has been placed on a seven-day remand yesterday (Saturday),” said the Rab official.
A Dhaka court granted the seven-day remand when Mirpur police produced him before it praying for a 10-day remand for interrogation in connection with the recovery of arms, explosives and explosive substances from two houses that Mizan hired.
A team of Rab intelligence unit led by Lt Moyeen, which had spotted and captured Mizan from Taltola on Thursday evening, later raided his house at Uttar Pireerbagh, and arrested his wife. Sensing Rab presence, she had blasted a bomb injuring herself and her two children.
Four Rab officials including Maj Momtajur Rahman, Maj Azam and Lt Mohiuddin entered Mizan’s house around 2:00am on Friday to arrest his wife Sharmin.
Rab also seized two grenades, two bombs and a pistol.
Acting on information from Mizan, Rab busted a den at East Monipur, used for training in explosives.
The elite force recovered 35 kinds of bomb-making materials, detonators and grenade cages from the house. Some books on jihad were also seized.
Earlier on Friday night, three cases were filed with Mirpur Police Station in connection with the recovery of arms and explosives, and attack on Rab members on Friday and Thursday.
Meanwhile, Mizan’s injured wife Sharmin and her two children were shifted to Orthopaedic Hospital in the city from Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) yesterday.

Courtesy of The Daily Star