The arrestee is Md Mamunur Rashid alias Ripon alias Rezaul Karim alias Reza, a Surah member of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
Acting on a tip-off, a Rab team conducted a drive in Board Bazar area of Gazipur around 4am and arrested the JMB leader along with Tk 1.5 lakh, said Rab sources.
Later, a court placed him on a five-day remand in connection with the case filed over the terrorist attack.
Hailing from Nandigram of Bogura, Mamun studied in various madrasahs in Mirpur of Dhaka, Nandigram and Naogaon on completion of Class-III in school.
Finally, he completed Dawra-e-Hadith from Madrasatul Darul Hadith in Chapainawabganj district. Later, he completed Office Application Course from Cyber Tech, a private organisation in Bogura, and then joined the same organisation as an employee in 2009, said the Rab sources.
Briefing reporters at the Rab’s Karwanbazar media centre, Director (Media) of the Rab headquarters Mufti Mahmud Khan said Mamun got involved in militancy after being inspired by one Nazrul, a physician, when he was in Cyber Tech. He then took the organisational name of Ripon.
According to the outfit’s decision, a militant team, led by Mamun, went to India in April, 2016 to collect money, firearms and explosives, he said.
Before the attack on Holey Artisan Bakery, Mamun collected Tk 39 lakh and handed over those to slain JMB Ameer Sarwar Jahan, the Rab official said.
Rab sources said Mamun was involved in planning and distributing money for the attack on the café.
Meanwhile, Judge of Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Court Kanak Barua placed the militant leader on the five-day remand in the afternoon when investigation officer (IO) of the case and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of Rab-3 Kafil Uddin sought a 10-day remand for him.
The terrorist attack that shattered the country and drew global attention, claimed lives of 22 people -- nine Italians, seven Japanese, one Indian, one Bangladeshi-born American and two Bangladeshis along with two police officers -- on July 1 2016.
Twenty-one people were identified to be behind the attack. Among them, 13 were killed in gunfights at different times.
On July 23 in 2018, police pressed charges against eight alleged militants in the Holey Artisan cafe attack case.