A senior police official yesterday claimed the money for Gulshan and Sholakia terror attacks came from foreign countries.
“We have so far learned the money for the terror attacks in Dhaka’s Gulshan and Sholakia of Kishoreganj came from abroad but the sources of arms have not yet been known,” said Monirul Islam, an additional commissioner of police and chief of Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP).
As per the available information, at least 1.4mn takas were smuggled into Bangladesh through an illegal system, he said, adding that they came to know of the identity of the person who received the money from this end and are trying to capture him.
The sources of money and arms came to light after the July 1, terror attack on the Holey Artisan café in Dhaka, in which 22 people including the attackers while another terror attack was carried out at Eid congregation in Sholakia Eidgah on July 7, in which four people were killed.
Police have widened the net to nab the militants after the terror attacks and successfully arrested some of them while some militants were killed in gunfights between police and the militants.
He was briefing the media on the progress made by the police in eliminating extremists and militants at a press conference yesterday.
Responding to a query, he said, “The money came from outside the country. But we still need to find out whether a Bangladeshi sent it from abroad or the money was sent from inside Bangladesh and different routes were used to bring it back to avoid getting caught.”
Monirul did not say how much money was being received by the militants here through hundi. But he said the police had come to know that the Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militants received nearly 1.4mn takas once.
“We know that they (militants) have spent that money in buying weapons and renting homes.”
When asked from which country the money had come, the police official avoided divulging any information, saying investigations are still
ongoing.
“But we know from where the money was sent. This is one of those countries that are known as ‘hundi’ hubs. However, we are yet to find out who sent it.”