Noakhali: Jubayer Hossain, one of the nine suspected militants killed in Kalyanpur operation in Dhaka on Tuesday, had been missing along with two neighbouring youths for over two months, reported UNB quoting his family.

Members of 20-year-old Jubayer’s family identified him after photographs of the slain militants were released on Facebook and subsequently in newspapers.

Jubayer  was the son of Abdul Qaiyum and Ayera Begum, residents of West Maizdi in Sudharam upazila, said Ilias Sharif, Noakhali superintendent of police.

A second year bachelor student of political science department at Noakhali Government College, Jubayer along with his cousin and next-door neighbour Bahadur went missing in mid-May last. Tuhin, another young man from the same neighbourhood, also remained missing for nearly five months, according to the family members.

Locals said Bahadur, the most senior among the three missing young men, had returned home from the Saudi Arabia a few months back and engaged in what they said ‘preaching Islam’.

He used to provide adolescents and youths with Islamic books and even finical assistance. It is suspected that Bahadur might have brainwashed Jubayer and Tuhin to engage in militant activities.

Following the Gulshan attack, Jubayer’s father, Abdul Qaiyum, lodged a general diary with Sudaram Model Police seeking his son’s whereabouts. Jubayer was the youngest among his three children.

Qaiyum said his son did not contact his family members since the day he went missing, and they identified him from the pictures of the slain militants posted on Facebook.

The district police chief also said thatJubayer was in the list of the missing persons, prepared by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB).

On suspicion, police sent information about Jubayer to the Police Headquarters in Dhaka earlier, he added.

Additional police super AKM Johirul Islam said they are trying to trace Bahadur and Tuhin. “They might have involvement in similar militant acts.”

Meanwhile, Jubayer’s father and other members along with a team of Sudaram Model Police Station set out for Dhaka at noon.

DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Masudur Rahma said the parents of the slain militants will be taken to Dhaka Medical College Hospital morgue for their further identification.

Later, the DNA tests of the deceased will be conducted with court permission, the DC added.

Nine suspected militants were killed in police firing during an operation by a special team of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) in the city’s Kalyanpur area early Tuesday.

The DMP released the photographs of the killed militants on its Facebook pace later at night.