Five of them, the young attackers, were killed in a raid on a commando raid to free hostages early next morning after the militants killed 17 foreign and three Bangladesh diners, two police officers and two Holey Artisan Bakery employees.
They are Nibras Islam, Rohan Ibne Imtiaz, Meer Saameh Mubasheer, Khairul Islam Payel and Shafiqul Islam Ujjal.
Nibras, Rohan, and Mubasheer were students of renowned institutions and members of well-to-do families in Dhaka while Khairul and Ujjal were madrasa students from rural families.
The only thing that linked them was: militancy.
Eight other suspects were killed in different raids on terror hideouts in a crackdown on militancy.
They were described as the brains behind the attack by a revived faction of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh or Neo-JMB
They are: Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury, identified as the mastermind behind the carnage, his associates Jahidul Islam, Tanvir Qaderi, Nurul Islam Marzan, Abu Rayhan Tarek, Sarwar Jahan, Basharuzzaman alias Chocolate and Chhoto Mizan.
The eight remaining suspects were caught alive. Police say they are top leaders of the radical Islamist group.
They are: Jahangir Hossain alias Rajib Gandhi, Rakibul Hasan Regan, Aslam Hossain alias Rashedul Islam alias Rash, Abdus Sabur Khan alias Soheil Mahfuz, Mizanur Rahman alias Baro Mizan, Hadisur Rahman Sagar, Shariful Islam Khaled alias Khalid
The charges against them include abetting the attack plot, training of the attackers, and supplying arms, explosives and funds.
Investigator Humayun Kabir, an inspector of police’s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit, submitted the charge sheet on July 23 last year.
After the indictment of the eight living suspects on Nov 26 last year, Dhaka’s Special Anti-Terrorism Tribunal Judge Md Mojibur Rahman is set to deliver the verdict on Wednesday.
The accused people face up to death penalty if convicted under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The prosecutors believe they have been able to prove the charges beyond any doubt.
Jahangir alias Rajib Gandhi
Jahangir alias Rajib Gandhi
THE CHARGES:
Jahangir Hossain, 28: The man from Gaibandha with the aliases Rajib Gandhi, Tiger, Adil, and Subhash was arrested on Jan 13, 2017.
He was allegedly among the militants, who started plotting the attack by the end of February, 2016.
Jahangir is also accused of training, supplying arms, and abetting the killings.
Rakibul Hasan Rigan, 20: He is also known as Rafiul Islam Rafi, Ripon, Hasan and Antar in the group. The man hails from Bagura.
He was arrested in a raid on a terror hideout at Kalyanpur in Dhaka on July 27, 2017 when 11 of his associates were killed.
Rigan is accused of training recruits for killings at the Neo-JMB and making transactions for operation.
Mizanur Rahman, 60: Known as Boro Mizan, he hails from Chanpainawabganj. The law enforcement arrested his at Darussalam in Dhaka on Nov 2, 2016.
He allegedly sheltered a militant with explosives by the end of March, 2016.
Mizanur is accused of abetting the supply of explosives for the Gulshan attack.
Abdus Sabur Khan Hasan, 33: Better known as Soheil Mahfuz, he also used the aliases Musafir, Joy, Nasurullah. The man from Kushtia was arrested in Chanpainawabganj on July 8, 2017.
According to the charge sheet, he abetted the attack by recruiting militants and supplying grenades and arms.
Aslam Hossain Sarder, 20: With the aliases Rashedul Islam, Rash, Mohan, Abu Zarra, the man from Rajshahi was arrested in Natore on July 28, 2017.
He was among the plotters of the attack, according to the charges.
He is also accused of training and inspiring the attackers, and carrying out reconnaissance of the cafe.
Hadisur Rahman, 35: He is also known as Sagar, Zulfiker, Sad-bin Abu Waqqas, Abu Al-Bangali, Abdullah Sir, Amzad, Toufique, among many other aliases. Hailing from Joypurhat, Hadisur was arrested in Bogura on Mar 21, 2018.
He is accused of sheltering the attackers and training them by renting a house in Jhenaidah, making transactions for the attack and supplying arms and grenades.
Shariful Islam Khaled, 27: Khalid, Rahat, Nahid, Abu Sulaiman are a few among his aliases. The man from Rajshahi was arrested in Chanpainawabganj on Jan 25 this year.
A former student of Rajshahi University’s English department, he joined the militant group in 2013, according to police.
It was Shariful who introduced the idea of carrying out suicide attacks, police said in the charge sheet.
He is also accused of abetting the attack plot, training and transportation of attackers.
