DHAKA, Aug. 12, 2026 — Bangladesh police are searching for Nazmul Hasan Mamun, alias “Bomaru Mamun,” whom investigators describe as a key figure behind a series of recent bomb-related incidents in and around Dhaka.
Officials from the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit said Mamun is allegedly the mentor of Mohammad Arif, alias Imran, who was arrested in Savar on Tuesday night with bombs and bomb-making materials.
“His mentor is Nazmul Hasan Mamun. We are still trying to arrest him,” CTTC Additional Deputy Commissioner (Investigation) Main Uddin Chowdhury told local media.
Police allege that Mamun, a suspected member of the banned Neo-Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (Neo-JMB), was first arrested in 2017 at the age of 21 over allegations of making explosives.
Investigators have linked Mamun and Arif to several recent incidents, including an explosion at a madrasa in Keraniganj in December, an incident in Jatrabari in February in which police were allegedly attacked during a search, and explosions in Comilla and Sayedabad in March.
Police have also alleged their involvement in the placement of a pipe bomb near a metro station in Motijheel during a religious procession in July and a pressure-cooker bomb found at a tea stall in Charabag, Ashulia, on July 30.
Bomb-making materials recovered in Savar
Following Arif’s arrest, CTTC officers raided a rented house in Shyampur, Savar, where they said they recovered several pipe bombs and materials suspected of being used to make explosives.
Police said Arif had rented a room there on Aug. 5 under the name “Abbas Ali,” identifying himself as a driver. According to the house owner’s family, he paid Tk1,000 as an advance against monthly rent of Tk4,000.
Investigators said he had brought chemical substances to the house at night and was rarely seen during the day.
Police said materials recovered from the house were being used to produce TATP, a highly unstable explosive compound. Authorities said similar material had previously been recovered after the Keraniganj madrasa blast.
On Wednesday morning, police also reported finding another pressure-cooker bomb inside a blue drum in a field near the Goperbari Laltek Ghora Mosque in Savar.
Mamun previously acquitted in Hotel Oleo case
Mamun was arrested in December 2017 in connection with the Hotel Oleo militant case. Police at the time described him as a member of the Neo-JMB “shura.”
The case stemmed from an operation at Hotel Oleo in Panthapath on Aug. 15, 2017, when police said a suspected militant detonated an explosive during an attempt to apprehend him. The blast killed Saiful Islam and damaged part of the hotel building.
In January 2026, a Dhaka anti-terrorism tribunal acquitted all 11 accused in the case.
The court’s judgment questioned the prosecution’s case and accepted the defence argument that the accused had been targeted for political reasons during the previous government. Police had previously described the defendants as members of the Neo-JMB and alleged links to Islamic State-inspired militancy.
Arif released from prison after 2024 political change
Police said Arif had also previously been arrested in a militant-related case during the Awami League government and was held at Kashimpur High Security Prison.
He was released in September 2024, following the political change in August that year, according to police.
CTTC investigators said Arif and Mamun later operated from different locations in Ashulia, Savar and other parts of Dhaka.
Investigation continues
CTTC officials said investigators are examining whether the same network was responsible for the recent bomb discoveries and explosions.
CTTC Additional Commissioner Mohammad Shamsul Haque said investigators would take legal action against anyone whose involvement is established.
“We are investigating these matters. Whoever is found to be involved will be brought under the law,” he said.
Police said efforts to locate and arrest Mamun are continuing.
This report is based on information attributed to Bangladesh police and CTTC investigators. Allegations of militant involvement remain subject to investigation and due legal process.
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