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Police received Musa’s name from Afif Qadri, son of top New JMB leader Tanvir Qadri, who gave a confessional statement before a court, said CTTC chief Monirul Islam at a press conference last year.
After Ashkona raid on December 24 last year, Monirul confirmed that Major (retd) Zahidul Islam alias Zahid and some other top leaders and mid-level leaders of New JMB have been on the run since the death of their leader and Gulshan attack mastermind Tamim Chowdhury in another CTTC raid.
Once a second tier leader in New JMB, Musa then took charge of coordinating the group, Monirul said.
After the arrest of Jahangir alias Rajiv Gandhi, he became the most active leader in the field, said CTTC officials.
Musa, who was described as well-mannered by his neighbours back at his village home in Bagmara, Rajshahi, was radicalised by Faisal, his expatriate friend who lives in Bahrain.
He was an avid follower of executed JMB leader Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai and was close to Major Zahid, living in the same building with Zahid and his family, his mother Sufia Begum said.
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Before leaving home for so-called jihad, Musa destroyed everything that could link him to his home, so that law enforcers could not track him, she added. He was very active on social media but he removed his friends from his Facebook account and eventually deactivated his account. “When his involvement in militancy came to light following the killing of Zahid, I found his phone switched off. I tried to see his Facebook page but did not find it,” said one of Musa’s former colleagues, requesting anonymity.
