9 arrested in Prothom Alo and Daily Star attacks
Law enforcement agencies have arrested 9 people in Dhaka and other parts of the country on suspicion of involvement in the recent attacks on the offices of national newspapers Prothom Alo and Daily Star and two cultural organizations by Monday morning (December 22). The identities of seven of those arrested were immediately confirmed. They are Md. Kashem Faruk, Md. Saidur Rahman, Rakib Hossain, Md. Naeem, Faisal Ahmed Prant, Md. Sohel Rana and Md. Shafiqul Islam.
The police’s Counter Terrorism Unit and the Intelligence Police have arrested two more. Their identities are being verified. Police and other law enforcement agencies had informed Principal Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus on Sunday that 31 people suspected of involvement in the recent incidents have already been initially identified after analyzing video footage. Three people who tried to create chaos near the residence of the Assistant High Commissioner of India in Chittagong have been identified through video footage.
The arrested Kashem Faruk is a former student of Al-Jamia Al-Islamia Kasemul Uloom Madrasa in Bogra and a resident of Mohammadpur area of Dhaka. Md. Saidur Rahman is a resident of Noakanda village in Bhanga upazila of Faridpur district.
In the video footage, Rakib Hossain, a resident of Sherpur district, has been identified as an active participant in the vandalism and arson of Prothom Alo and The Daily Star. Pictures of the rubble were taken from his ID and posted on social media. He also made provocative posts from his Facebook ID. Md. Naeem, a resident of Kunipara area of Tejgaon in Dhaka, was arrested along with 50 thousand taka looted in Chauddagram upazila of Comilla. During initial interrogation, Naeem confessed to looting a total of 1 lakh 23 thousand taka. He had bought a TV and a refrigerator from Mohammadpur with the looted money, which has already been recovered.
Md. There are 13 cases against Sohel Rana under various laws, including narcotics, in different police stations in Dhaka. Md. Shafiqul Islam, arrested from the same area, has two cases against him for his involvement in arson and cocktail explosions in the past. Preliminary interrogation of the other arrested persons is underway.
