Photo: Collected
It was on July 1, 2016, that terrorists carried out a shocking attack on the Holy Artisan Hotel in the capital, leaving the nation stunned. Six new militants affiliated with JMB stormed the restaurant, taking hostages and resulting in the tragic deaths of 17 foreigners after a 13-hour standoff. The ensuing 'Operation Thunder Bolt,' conducted by an army commando team on July 7, successfully neutralized the attackers, leading to the deaths of all six militants involved. This incident marked one of the darkest chapters in the country's history.
Following these events, law enforcement agencies intensified anti-terror operations across Bangladesh. A series of raids targeted terrorist hideouts and networks in various locations including Dhaka's Kalyanpur, Rupnagar, Azimpur, Ashkona, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Tangail, Chittagong's Sitakunda, Sylhet, and Rajshahi. These operations resulted in the deaths of at least fifty militants, including Tamim Chowdhury, the leader of the 'New JMB' group, responsible for orchestrating the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks. These efforts underscored Bangladesh's commitment to combating terrorism and ensuring national security.
Operation Thunder Bolt: It was conducted to suppress militants and end a hostage situation in Gulshan. It involved 4,000 members of the military and law enforcement, beginning at 7:40 am and lasting approximately 12-13 minutes. Army chief General Abu Belal Mohammad Safiul Haque supervised the operation, with the Chief of Navy, Inspector General of Police, Director General of RAB, and other organization heads present. Six militants were killed in the commando operation.
Operation Storm-26: In Kalyanpur occurred on July 26, 2016, after the counter-terrorism unit received information about a terrorist hideout. Nine militants were killed in this operation.
Operation Hit Strong-27: In Narayanganj it took place on August 27 of the same year. Based on intelligence, the Counter Terrorism Unit raided a militant hideout in Paikpara, Narayanganj, resulting in the death of Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, the new JMB leader and mastermind of the Gulshan attack, along with two associates.
In the attack on Astana in Rupnagar on the night of September 2, the counter-terrorism unit conducted a raid in Mirpur's Rupnagar based on secret information. During a shootout, a retired major named Zahidul Islam, who had trained participants in terrorist attacks in Gulshan and Sholakia in the grasslands of Gaibandha, was killed by police. Zahidul was intended to replace Tamim Chowdhury in the new JMB after Tamim's death in Narayanganj.
Attack on Astana in Azimpur: On September 10, the Counter Terrorism Unit raided a house in Azimpur. Tanveer Quadri, one of the top leaders and patrons of the new JMB, was killed there. Three women militants and Tanveer's 14-year-old son were arrested from there.
Operation 'Speight-Eight' in Gazipur: October 8 of the same year was a successful day for counter-terrorism. Police and RAB raided four hideouts in Gazipur, Ashulia, and Tangail. Nine militants were killed in two separate operations in Gazipur, two militants were killed in Tangail, and the militants' shelter in Ashulia was destroyed.
Ashkona Operation 'Ripple 24': On December 24, 2016, two people, including the son of militant leader Tanvir Quadri, were killed in a 12-hour police raid on a militant hideout in Ashkona. Four people, including the wife of another militant leader Zahidul Islam, surrendered after the operation, which was named 'Operation Ripple-24'. Afif Quadri Adar (14), son of militant leader Tanveer Quadri, was one of the two killed in the suicide blast at the house. Shakira, wife of militant leader Suman, was also killed.
Operation 'Assault 16': On March 17, 2017, law enforcement conducted the first operation in a militant hideout discovered on March 15 in Sitakunda, Chittagong. Four militants were killed in the operation. SWAT members safely rescued 18 people trapped in Astana during the operation.
Operation Twilight: On March 25, 2017, the army's para-commando team conducted 'Operation Twilight' in the Shibbari area of Dakshina Surma police station in Sylhet city, targeting the militant hideout Atiya Mahal. Mainul alias Musa, a leader of the new JMB, was killed in this operation. Five police officers, including RAB intelligence chief Abul Kalam Azad, were killed in the operation, along with three women militants, including Musa.
Operation Maximus: SWAT conducted an operation on militant hideouts in Barahat, Moulvibazar, named 'Operation Maximus', which concluded on April 1, 2017. Three militants were found dead inside the hideout—two males and one female.
Operation Sundevil was a counter-terrorism operation launched on May 11, 2017, in Habaspuo, a secluded village in Godagari, Rajshahi. The operation aimed to neutralize militants and address security threats in the area. During the operation, a female militant brutally hacked to death a fire service worker named Abdul Matin, shocking many who witnessed the incident through video footage. Four militants, including the female perpetrator, were killed in the operation. The slain suspected militants were identified as Sajjad Ali (50) and his wife Baily (40), among others.
Nurul Islam Marjan, one of the masterminds behind the attack on Holy Artisan Bakery in Gulshan, and his accomplice Saddam were killed in a "gunfight" with police in Mohammadpur, the capital, on January 5, 2018. Marjan was a top leader of the new JMB and had orchestrated attacks including those on Holy Artisan and Sholakia in Gulshan. His elimination marked a significant success in Bangladesh's counter-terrorism efforts.
Asaduzzaman, Chief Additional Commissioner of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, stated that recent anti-terrorist operations had significantly reduced the new JMB's strength by 90 per cent, making it difficult for them to carry out major attacks. He also emphasized ongoing efforts to apprehend militants who are still at large.
Messenger/Disha
