Security forces found the charred bodies of three militant suspects inside a hideout in Dhaka's Mirpur on Wednesday, RAB has said.
They raided the terror hideout after overnight blasts ignited a fire in the building, which had been cordoned-off for almost 36 hours.
"Our men have reached the fourth-floor. They have unlocked a room of the apartment, which was occupied by the militants, and spotted three charred bodies inside," RAB spokesperson Mufti Mahmud said.
He, however, said the bodies were completely burnt and it was not possible to identify whether they are male or female, reports bdnews24.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) had said earlier that seven people, including terror suspect Abdullah were holed up in the apartment of the six-storey building on Mirpur's Mazar Road.
"We will search the other rooms (of the apartment," RAB Media Wing chief Mahmud said.
The raid unfolded in the early hours of Tuesday on information from two suspected Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh or JMB activists, who were arrested in Tangail the previous day in possession of a drone and local weapons.
Security forces sealed off the six-storey building and evacuated residents of 23 out of the 24 apartments before cutting off utility supplies on Tuesday morning.
RAB chief Benazir Ahmed told the media later in the day that terrorist Abdullah, his two wives, two children and two accomplices were holed up in one of the fourth-floor apartments.
According to RAB, Abdullah had been involved in terrorism since 2005. A long-time resident of Mazar Road, he used to repair electronics equipment and sell pigeons.
"He said he has 50 improvised explosives devices besides other flammable chemicals inside his flat.”
“We were targeted with gunfire from that location after we cordoned off this place. We believe he has a pistol too," Benazir said.
Throughout the day, RAB officials negotiated with Abduallah and asked him to turn himself in.
In the evening, the media was told that the suspect agreed to surrender between 7:30pm and 8:00pm
But the suspect kept RAB waiting for almost two hours. Around 10:00pm, blasts from the building rocked the area.
The explosions triggered a fire in the suspect's apartment, lighting up the area. Bursts of gunfire could be also heard from the scene.
RAB said the suspects carried out three large explosions.
Senior firefighter Debashish Bardhan said Wednesday morning that it took them over two hours to put out the fire triggered by explosions in the night.
He said initial evidence suggests that chemicals were used to carry out the blasts.
