Gulshan attack-Suspect Rajib Gandhi’s aide killed in police ‘shootout’

Staff Correspondent :    A close aide of Gulshan cafe attack suspect ‘Rajib Gandhi’ has been killed in a ‘shootout’ with police in Bogra. The ‘shootout’ took place around 2:30am at Patnoja of Kahalu Upazila when a group of militants opened fire on a police patrol. The militants escaped leaving behind an injured 32-year-old Abu Musa.

Doctors at Shahid Ziaur Rahman Medical College Hospital later declared him dead. Police said Musa was involved in the killings of homeopathy practitioner Mir Sanoar Rahman and grocery shopkeeper Sunil Gomez.

Sanoar, who preached Baul ideology, was killed at Kushita’s Mojompur on May 20, 2016 while Gomez was killed at Natore’s Bongram Bazar on Jun 5, 2016.
Police sources said Musa, who was involved with many crimes, operated under pseudonyms like Abuzar alias Abu Talha, ‘Robin’, and ‘Samiul’.

After the gunfight on Monday, police found a pistol, three rounds of bullets and sharp weapons on the spot. Musa was allegedly a close aide to Jahangir Alam alias Rajib Gandhi, the chief coordinator of banned outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Pabna, Kushtia, Natore and Sirajganj.

Jahangir Alam was arrested from Dhaka’s Keraniganj on January 14. Musa was directly involved in plotting the Gulshan cafe attack and was involved in 22 cases of murders and attempted murders including the one of Japanese national Kunio Hoshi in Rangpur. Musa’s name was also mentioned by Sirajganj militants when they confessed to court.