The activists of Jamaat-e-Islami, and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir are carrying out targeted attacks on police under the name of ‘Neo-JMB’, says a top counter terrorism official.
"Investigations unearthed the mysteries of all the terror attacks, except four or five of those, and charge sheets have been filed in most of the cases. Some cases have been resolved in court, and some are under trial. Because of it, they (Jamaat-Shibir activists who joined New-JMB) do have anger on police," Monirul Islam, chief of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) said on Monday.
In an informal briefing to a group of journalists at his office, the CTTC chief said, most of the Neo-JMB leaders have been arrested, and some have been killed in police raids, while some have committed suicide.
Responding to a query, he said JMB (Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh) is a terror organization created by some former leaders and activists of Jamaat-Shibir.
"We have observed that leaders, and activists or former ones of different levels of Jamaat-Shibir have engaged with JMB. But those joining after 2016 are mostly online activists," he said.
After the Holey Artisan attack, some misguided youths also joined with former Shibir leaders to strengthen its organizational capacity.
"Some of the online campaign languages, and some trademark languages of Chhatra Shibir are still in use. Those detained or arrested in different occasions, were also found to be involved with Shibir. Also, some of them are Chhatra Shibir leaders with 15-16 cases against them," said Monirul.
Some of these people have been identified, and efforts are on to nab them, he added.
Regarding the two unexploded bombs kept near police boxes in Dhaka, and the attack on cops at Science Laboratory in Dhaka, Monirul said, police were the main target of the incidents.
Explaining the reasons behind it, the CTTC chief said that there were violent political activities in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
"After the trial of war criminals, the Ganajagaran Mancha was created, and since then killing of bloggers started with expansion of militancy activities," he said.
They (militants) wanted to create a violent situation centring the trial of war criminals, but found police as their opponent, he said.
“Police had implemented the laws for the sake of security of people, property, and government properties which went against their interest, and they do have anger on police for it," he said.
On Sunday, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader said, the bomb attack on police personnel in Dhaka's Science Laboratory area might be a test attack for a bigger plot in the near future.
On Saturday night, two policemen, including an ASI who was escorting LGRD Minister Tazul Islam at Science Laboratory, were injured after a bomb was hurled at them.
On July 23, and July 24, bomb-like objects were found near police boxes at Paltan intersection, and Khamarbari in the capital.
On May 26, two people, including a female police officer, got injured after a bomb went off near a police pickup truck in Dhaka's Malibagh intersection.
On April 29, two traffic police constables, and a community traffic policeman were injured in a blast in Gulistan.
However, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for all five incidents.