His name is Abdus Samad alias Ashiq, but he is known as ‘Mamu’ (uncle), by everyone in the New JMB (Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh), the group responsible for the Gulshan terror attack.

Samad earned Dawra-e-Hadith degree at a young age, which is the highest degree offered by a Qawmi Madrasa. He is an expert in The Arabic language and has the gift of persuasion. He could sway people to his Jihadi cause simply by speaking to them. Samad also played an important role in the terror outfit New JMB and personally recruited more than fifty youths into the militant organization. He introduced Bangladeshi-origin Canadian citizen and deceased New JMB chief Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury to Bangladeshi militant leaders in October of 2013.

Ashiq also played a vital role in the formation of Junud Al Tawhid Al Khalifa and the New JMB. The details of Ashiq’s illicit activities came under the spotlight after his arrest last Wednesday. The 29-year-old suspected militant divulged critical information related to militant operations in Bangladesh during initial interrogation.

On Thursday, a court granted Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) a five-day remand of Ashiq for further questioning.

Addressing the matter, CTTC chief Monirul Islam said, “When Tamim formed Junud Al Tawhid Al Khalifa in Dhaka, he made Ashiq his second in command. Samad, also known as Mamu, played a key role in forming the New-JMB. He served the New-JMB in a variety of ways, most importantly as a policymaker, recruiter, fundraiser and bomb maker. Ashiq also trained new recruits in firearm use and explosives.”

The terrorist leader has been keeping the organization together following the deaths and arrests of many key leaders of the New-JMB.

An insider of the CTTC told the Bangla Tribune, “Samad was born in 1988 in his native home of Ballavpur in Dinajpur district. He attended a local school till the fifth grade, and then got admission in Aldipur Darulhuda Salafia Madrasa, and earned his Dawra-e-Hadith degree.” The insider added, “Samadnur Rashid, a top leader of the New-JMB, recruited Samad into the terror organization in 2010.”

Meanwhile, several other CTTC officials confirmed that Tamim Chowdhury contacted a number of militant leaders in Bangladesh before arriving in Dhaka from Canada. “Tamim contacted Samad as soon as he arrived in Dhaka. Samad held a meeting with Tamim in Naogaon in September 2014. In this very meeting, the concept of a new terror outfit named Junud Al Tawhid Al Khalifa was conceived,” the official added.

The meeting was attended by militants such as Shariful Islam Khalid, Choto Mizan, who supplied weapons for the Gulshan attack, Abdul Awal, Delwar Mistri, Anwar Mistri and Abdullah, who was later killed in an anti-terror raid in Kalyanpur.

Quoting Abdus Samad, CTTC officials said, “At that time, Tamim was trying to form a unified militant organization comprised of a faction of the original JMB, Ansar al-Islam, Hizb ut-Tahrir and Harkat ul Jihad. “The New-JMB was formed mostly by the members of the previous iteration of the JMB, and many members followed the ideology of international terror outfit Islamic State.”

During initial interrogation, Samad confessed that Tamim Chowdhury gave him a book named “Muslim Bhumi Protirokkha,” which had details about what Jihad is, and why it is needed. Samad later used the information found in the book to motivate and recruit people into the New-JMB.

During questioning, Samad confessed that he recruited at least 50 youths, including Babul Master, Milu, Rashed, Badsha, Al Amin, Abdul Halim, Mehedi, Ismail Kalu, Arif, Choto Liton and Rafikul. Most of Samad’s recruitments were from Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Dinajpur area, and many of these youths have been killed in anti-terror operations across the country. Samad also added that Tamim Chowdhury regularly visited Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Gaibandha and Dinajpur between 2014 and 2015. He claimed that Tamim called him to Dhaka in 2015, and asked for several militant activists willing to carry out suicide missions. However, Samad had claimed that he was in Chapainawabganj during the Gulshan attack.

Speaking about the militant leader, CTTC chief Monirul Islam said: “Samad was not the kind of leader to participate in terror operations. We have no evidence suggesting that he participated in the Holey Artisan Bakery attack. “We are questioning him about whether he participated in the planning of the Gulshan attack,” he added.