Atia Mahal raid: PBI presses charges against 3

Police Bureau of Investigation (PBI) has pressed charges against three, for their alleged ties with the four people, who were killed during an anti-terror operation in Sylhet in 2017.

PBI Inspector Abul Hossain submitted the charge-sheet in Sylhet’s Metropolitan Magistrate’s Court on Saturday.

The accused are Arzina Begum, 19, sister of suspected militant Marzina who was killed in the operation at the militant’s den; Arzina’s husband Jahurul Haque alias Jasim, 25; and Mohammad Hasan, 26. All three are currently in jail.

Among them, Jasim and Arzina were arrested from Chittagong’s Sitakunda on March 23, and Hasan was arrested from Chandina in Comilla.

They have been charged with inciting militancy, said Inspector Abul.

On March 24, police cordoned off Atia Mahal at Shibbari in South Surma as a militant hideout. Army para-commandos joined the raid the next day. A total of 78 people were rescued, and all four militants died during the operation. Bodies of two militants were retrieved on March 27.

All four militants blew themselves up to evade arrest.

However, the commandos managed to evacuate the 78 residents of the building on March 25 at the start of Operation Twilight.

After the operation ended, bomb disposal units of different law enforcement agencies were sweeping for explosives, which ended on April 10, and the building was then handed back to the owner Ustar Mia.