Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has arrested three suspected members of new militant outfit 'Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya', from Naikhongchhari upazila of Bandarban and Kadamtoli area in Dhaka. The arrestees were Kabir Ahmed, 50, arms supplier, Yeasin, 40, an aide of Shamim Mahfuz, a mastermind of the new militant group and trainer and Abdur Rahman Imran. Kabir Ahmed was arrested from Bandarban and the rest were arrested from Dhaka based on information given by Kabir. The members of the new militant outfit used local and foreign made firearms during their training, said DMP's Additional Police Commissioner Md Asaduzzaman, also CTTC chief at a press briefing held at DMP media centre on Monday. Police also seized three locally made arms, six guns, 11 bullets, lead, acid, gun powder, octane and other chemicals from their possession, said Asaduzzaman. The CTTC unit conducted the drives based on the information gleaned from two members of the new militant group--Saiful Islam Tuhin and Naim Hossain, who were arrested from the hill districts of Chattogram on December 21, he said. After interrogation, police identified Kabir as the main arms supplier and arrested him from Bandarban district. Following interrogation, they seized the arms and ammunition from two plastic drums, digging soil in a hilly area of Bandarban, said the CTTC chief. During interrogation, Kabir confessed to police that that he was the main arms supplier the militant outfit and he planned to supply the arms seized during the drive to some extremists, he said. Read more: Jamaat ameer involved in breeding new militant outfit: CTTC chief Mahfuz contacted Kabir several times for arms for providing training to the militants, he said. Meanwhile, the team conducted another drive in Kadamtoli area of the capital and arrested two more members of the outfit, he added. It is known that, Yeasin and Rahman were two active members of the outfit and close aide of Mahfuz and through Rahman Mahfuz used to run his financial activities, said Asaduzzaman. Replying a question, Asaduzzaman said they are working for those who have fled their houses and it is still not clear yet how many members are there in the militant outfit. A case was filed under Anti-terrorism Act with Demra Police Station and remand will be sought for the arrestees after producing them before the court, he said. From October 10, law enforcement agencies started a joint drive against the underground extremists and criminals in the district.

A senior counter terrorism official said on Thursday that Ameer(chief) of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Shafiqur Rahman has confessed the involvement of his son Dr Rafat Sadiq Saifullah with the new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya. The chief of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Asaduzzaman claimed this at a press conference in the DMP media centre on Thursday. The CTTC chief said the Jamaat chief was aware that his son was involved in militancy. “But he remained silent and didn’t inform the law enforcement agencies,” Asaduzzaman said. “If someone wants to return to normal life after being involved in militancy, the law-enforcement agencies consider an application on behalf of the family. But he (Shafiqur) did not inform the law enforcers and concealed the whole thing,” he said. Rafat, son of Shafiqur Rahman, along with one of his associates were arrested from Jatrabari area of the city on November 9. Read more: Dr Shafiqur Rahman made Ameer of Jamaat-e-Islami Rafat was a suspected member of Ansar Al Islam and collected some supporters from the militant group to join their new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, the official claimed. A group of young people, who left homes recently, led by Rafat went to Bandarban from where they went to Sylhet for training from militants with Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), an armed group in the Chattogram Hill Tracts, claimed the CTTC chief. Shafiqur Rahman was arrested on December 13 for his alleged involvement in militancy. Police found the evidence of supporting and funding the new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya by the Jamaat chief, said DMP Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq on December 17. Meanwhile, about the escape of two militants from the Dhaka court, the CTTC chief said on Thursday: “It is not time to say it yet. They’ve not escaped from the country yet.” Read more: Arrest warrants issued against Jamaat chief, 11 others in sabotage case