Law enforcers have no ‘specific’ information of death row convict, top brass militant leader Syed Ziaul Haque, a sacked Major of the Bangladesh Army.
Thus, all attempts to arrest the notorious terrorist have apparently gone in vain as he is continuously dodging security forces for more than nine years.
The government announced a Tk 20 lakh bounty for him in 2016 while the government banned Zia-led Ansar Al Islam in 2017.
Zia, the military head of the banded terrorist outfit Ansar Al Islam, does not use any telecommunication devices to dodge arrest, police officials who monitor Zia’s possible whereabouts said to this correspondent.
Talking to Bangladesh Post on Tuesday, Saiful Islam, Deputy Commissioner of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police said, “ Around one year ago, we had information that Zia had met one of his close aides. We later arrested the accomplice.”
He however, refused to give the details saying that they are restlessly working to arrest the fugitive militant leader as soon as possible.
Responding to a question, DC Saiful, who is also the spokesman of the CTTC, DMP’s specialized unit to combat militancy said, “ Zia does not communicate with any old members of the Ansar al Islam. He never keeps communication with the militant leaders whose names were published in the media or whose names are known to the law enforcers.”
Thus he is hiding by applying many tactics, he added.
Responding to another query, DC Saiful, who led major anti-militant operations of the country, said, “ As far as our information, sacked Major Zia is still hiding in the country.”
We are working to trace him, he added.
According to the counter terrorism experts, due to the enhanced surveillance against militants, it is very difficult for any militant leader including sacked Major Zia to regroup militants for carrying out any large scale terrorist attack in the country.
After the deadly Holey Artisan attack, most of the militant networks were successfully demolished during special operations by law enforcers. As a result, Bangladesh did not experience any major militant attacks after the Gulshan café attack which killed twenty six foreigners mostly Japanese nationals.
But arresting sacked army major Zia, is still regarded as a big challenge for police.
Some security experts warned that Ansar al Islam may try to reorgansie under leadership of sacked Major Zia, if he remains fugitive for a long time.
If he is not arrested, he and his Ansar Al Islam may again pose dangerous security threats to the country in future.
The sacked Major has been on the run ever since his expulsion from the army after the failed 2012 coup.
Ansar al Islam follows the ideology of global terrorist al-Qaeda. Most of the Ansar al Islam operatives are highly educated and have expertise in Information and Communication Technology . Zia is well trained and has more knowledge about ICT. He was very cunning and always took calculated steps.
He had trained his associates in guerrilla fighting. His primary goal was targeted killing. But their main targets were bloggers, atheists, secularists, politicians and media personalities.
Zia does not go anywhere until he is hundred percent sure of his safety.
A Dhaka court on Tuesday sentenced five members of the banned militant organization Ansar al-Islam including its top leader the sacked army major to death in a case lodged over the murder of writer Avijit Roy.