JMB death row convict nabbed after absconding for years

An operational team of Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU), a specialized unit of Bangladesh Police, arrested a fugitive death row convict, a member of banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), from Nazipur area under Patnitla police station in Naogaon district.

The arrestee was identified as Md Sanwar Hossain aka Rauf, 44, son of late Ershad Ali of village Chhoto Chandpur of Nazipur under Patnitla police station in Naogaon district.

An operational team of the ATU came to know that Sanwar was hiding under the name of Abdullah in Chhota Chandpur area. Sanwar used to work as a mason as well as raising sheep there.

Based on the secret information, the ATU team conducted a raid at the village Chhoto Chandpur area on Saturday evening, and arrested Sanwar Hossain, a member of the Isaba Group (Military Wing), said Mohammad Aslam Khan, SP (Media & Awareness wing of the ATU).

Arrested Md. Sanwar Hossain became a member of the banned JMB after 2000 under the leadership of Shaikh Abdur Rahman. At that time, he was working as a homeopathic doctor and head of JMB in Nachol and Gomstapur, he said.

When Shaikh Abdur Rahman was hanged in Comilla Central Jail on March 29, 2007, Maulana Saidur Rahman became the Amir of the militant group. They later continued their activities amid their internal-conflict. Later, the self-proclaimed Amir of the JMB Salman was called to Khulshi Boria Ambagan area under Nachol police station where he was killed.

According to the information given by the arrested A. Shakur alias Shakur and Jahangir, Salman's decapitated head was recovered from the bank of the river Mahananda, said the SP (media & Awareness) wing of the ATU Aslam Khan

Arrested Sanwar Hossain had been working secretly for 10 years to activate the old JMB in different areas of Chapainawabganj and Naogaon. Two arrest warrants under anti-terrorism Act (death-convicted) were pending at Nachol police station in Chapainawabganj. Moreover, he was accused in another case filed with Gomstapur police station of Chapainawabganj.

It may be mentioned that on November 25, 2019, the Additional District and Sessions Judge of Chapainawabganj district sentenced three people, including arrested Sanwar, to death in the Salman murder case.