Members of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit have detained 10 suspected operatives of the newly formed militant outfit ‘Imam Mahmud’s Kafela’ after conducting ‘Operation Hillside’ at a hideout in a remote hilly area in East Taktiuli village under Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar on Saturday (August 12, 2023). Three children were also rescued from the hideout during the drive. The detainees are Shariful Islam, 40, his wife Amina Begum, 40, their 20-year-old daughter Habiba Binte Shariful, of Satkhira’s Tala upazila; Hafiz Ullah, 25, of Kishoreganj’s Itna upazila; Khairul Islam, 22 and his wife Meghna, 22, of Narayanganj’s Fatullah upazila; Rafiul Islam, 22, of Sirajganj’s Kazipur upazila; Shapla Begum, 22, wife of one Abdus Sattar of Pabna’s Atgharia upazila; Maisha Islam, 20, wife of Sohel Tanjim Rana of Natore; and Sanjida Khatun, 18, wife of Sumon Miah of Bogura’s Shariakandi upazila. Read: Five suspected members of new militant outfit Jama'atul Ansar heldMd Asaduzzaman, chief of CTTC unit and additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), at a press briefing following the operation in Kulaura upazila at around 11 am said they detained four men and six women and rescued three children from the hideout. He said the detainees are members of the newly formed militant outfit ‘Imam Mahmud’s Kafela’. The CTTC chief said they have also recovered 2.5 kg of explosives, 50 detonators, training manual, combat boots, militant books, locally-made sharp weapons, Tk 3,61,000 in cash and ornaments from the hideout. Asaduzzaman said they had information that a militant outfit had set up a hideout on one of the hills in the district and was recruiting new members. The CTTC chief said they came to know the name of the mastermind of the militant group from the detainees and drives are now on to nab him. Read: Training commander of Jamatul Ansar, 8 other militants arrested in Bandarban: RAB Earlier on Friday night, the CTTC members accompanied by district police cordoned off a building in the village. Later this morning, the CTTC unit initiated the operation to neutralize any potential risk stemming from the hideout. Local Union Parishad Chairman Muhibul Islam said the detained suspected militants are residents of other districts and they have been living in the area for the past two months after constructing a house in the remote hilly area. Read more: ​​​​​​​Rab DG calls escape of two militants a 'failure'

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) say they have arrested three members of the militant group, Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, including its Ameer, Md Anisur Rahman, from Munshiganj's Louhajang upazila early today (July 24, 2023). The identities of the other operatives were not disclosed by the law enforcers. Read: 2 arrested for detonating homemade explosive on Dhanmondi 32 Acting on a tip-off, a RAB team conducted a drive in Boronopara village in Louhajang upazila around 3 am and arrested the three men, ANM Imran Khan, assistant director of RAB's Legal and Media wing, said. During the drive, the RAB team also recovered firearms and explosives from the alleged Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya operatives, he added. Read: Land dealer Ekhlas killing: DB arrests 5 suspects including industrialist mastermind Details are set to be disclosed at a media briefing at RAB's media centre in Dhaka at 11:30 am.

Arrested council (Shura) member and head of the armed wing of a new militant group, Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, met JMB militants while in jail on robbery charges and became a top leader of the new group after he was released. Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of Rab’s legal and media wing, revealed the information while briefing the media today over the arrest of two members of the new militant group yesterday from a Rohingya camp in Cox’s Bazar. He said Rab interrogated Masukur Rahman alias Ronobir alias Masud and Bashar after arresting them yesterday and got some important tip-offs. Ronobir’s associate, Bashar, is a bomb-making expert. Ronobir used to work at a post office. He also led an armed robbery gang and got arrested. “During his time in prison, he met the leaders and activists of JMB and decided to join forces with them,” said the Rab officer. Also Read: 2 ‘militants’ arrested from Kutupalong Rohingya camp after 'gunfight’, Rab says He continued to visit JMB members in jail after his release. He had contact with their families too, he added. In 2017, he met Rakib, a Shura member and later head of Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya’s finance and media wing, and became a founding member. Members of Rab yesterday (January 23, 2023) arrested Ronobir and Bashar after a gunfight at Kutupalong Rohingya camp in Ukhia upazila of Cox's Bazar. Rab arrested the duo along with arms and explosives from a den in the camp following the gunfight.  

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) have arrested a convicted member of the banned militant group Hizb ut-Tahrir from Dhaka's Jatrabari area. The arrestee was identified as Tauhidur Rahman Tauhid, 32, an active member of the ‘Dawah’ and finance department of the militant group. He was sentenced to two years' rigorous imprisonment by an Anti-Terrorism Tribunal. Read more: 12 militants, 14 KNF members arrested so far in anti-militancy drive in Bandarban: RAB Tipped off, a special team of Rab-2 conducted a drive in Dhaka's Jatrabari on Saturday and arrested Tauhid, Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Md Fazlul Haque, senior additional director (Media) of Rab-2, said. Tauhid was indicted in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act at the capital's Hazaribagh Police Station. He has been absconding for the past 11 years and continued his involvement with the militant group, said the Rab official. According to the Rab official, Tauhid was actively involved in anti-state activities -- holding meetings to conspire against the government and distributing leaflets and posters of Hizb ut-Tahrir to encourage madrasa and school students to be engaged in militancy. Read more: 3 ‘members of new militant outfit’ held with arms, explosives in Bandarban Efforts are on to nab his associates based on his information. Legal processes are underway against the arrestee, said the Rab officer.

Right after returning to Bangladesh, Member Secretary of Gono Odhikar Parishad Nurul Haque Nur has defended Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman — arrested over assisting a militant group — as a “humanitarian” individual. “How could the government arrest such a humanitarian person like the ameer of Jamaat?” — Nur said in a video of a press conference today. According to Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the Jamaat ameer’s son got involved with the militant group Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya. Later, Shafiqur allegedly supported and funded them. Two police officers were injured in a clash with Jamaat-e-Islami activists during their demonstration protesting the arrest of their ameer in Rajshahi city on December 13, 2022. Jamaat, Shibir men also clashed with police on December 30 — leaving several people, including cops, injured. Read more: ‘Free arrested Chhatra Odhikar Parishad activists’: Nur, Saki submit memo to DU VC The latest call by Nur, defending the Jamaat ameer and BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, comes after his return from a much talked about overseas trip, during which he reportedly met an individual named Mendi N Safadi, apparently an agent of Israel's intelligence agency Mossad, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A sedition complaint was filed against Nur in this regard. "It seems that Nur has been involved in a conspiracy to unseat the elected government in Bangladesh," the complaint says.

Sunamganj, Jan 8 (UNB) - Police cordoned off a house at Fechi Atghar in Jagannathpur upazila of Sunamganj district on Sunday, suspecting it to be a militant hideout. Subhasish Dhar, additional superintendent of Sunamganj (Jagannathpur circle) police, said a team of police cordoned off the house Sunday morning on an information that there are a huge quantity of illegal firearms and bombs in the abandoned house. Also Read: 6  ‘Al Qaeda-inspired militants’ arrested in city The owner of the house is a resident of Sylhet city, he said. A bomb disposal unit went to the spot.    

Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has arrested six suspected militants who were inspired by international militant group Al Qaeda. The detainees were Abdur Rob, 28, Md Sakib, 23, Md Shamim Hossain, 18, Md Nadim Sheikh, 19, Md Absar, 20, and Md Saeed Uddin, 18. A team of city intelligence analysis division of CTTC conducted drives in the capital’s Sayedabad Bus Terminal, Chattogam and Teknaf Teknaf and detained them on Sunday, said a press release of CTTC on Monday. Read more: Jamaat chief knew his son was member of militant group: CTTC chief During primary interrogation, the detainees said that they used to form gangs by communicating on social media and online based apps. They were staying in Teknaf for launching jihad in the country after receiving training with local associates. Detainee Abdur Rob left for Saudi-Arabia last June in 2019 after studying at a Qawmi madrasa here. While staying in Saudi Arabia, he was inspired to join jihad seeing various jihadi posts and videos online, said the release. Rob used to work as a  moderator and bring everyone together online to discuss sharia-based state formation, Jihad, etc. Later, they got acquainted with a Bangladeshi who lives in abroad and established contact via audio-video calls, it said. That member introduced everyone to another Bangladeshi in Libya and a local man from Teknaf. In the joint discussion, it was decided that Abdur Rob, Shamim, SaKib, Nadim, Saeed and others who are willing to migrate will first go to Teknaf and receive training through their local associates for waging jihad for the establishment of Islamic rule in Bangladesh, it added. Read more: Top Ansar al-Islam leaders behind militants’ escape from Dhaka court: CTTC chief On November 22 last year, Abdur Rob arrived in the country and rented a house for planning and counseling. A case has been filed at Jatrabari police station against the detainees under the Anti-Terrorism Act, said the release.

Police have found evidence of supporting and funding the new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya by Ameer(chief) of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Shafiqur Rahman, said the DMP chief on Saturday. Dhaka Metropolitan Police Commissioner Khandker Golam Faruq said that the Jamaat Ameer’s son got involved with the militant outfit and later he supported and funded them willingly. He made the comment in reply to a question while briefing reporters after attending a programme in the capital. Read more: Rights experts decry advocacy of Jamaat’s British legal adviser to impose sanctions The Jamaat chief was arrested for his on allegations of assisting the militant group. When asked whether any other leader of Jamaat was found to be associated with the new militant outfit, the commissioner said, “For the sake of privacy, I am not disclosing that information now. We will give details after the operation is successful.” About the escape of two militants from the Dhaka court, Faruq said “We are going to get the report of the investigation committee. The report will ask to take action against those police members who were negligent on duty to prevent such incidents from happening in the future.” Read more: Jamaat ameer involved in breeding new militant outfit: CTTC chief  “Our surveillance has identified not only those two militants but many others who were involved in the incident. Hope we will be able to arrest them soon,” he added.

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested three more members of new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya from the signboard area of ​​Narayanganj. The arrestees are Abdul Hadi Sumon, 40, son of Abdur Rakib of Sunamganj's Jagannathpur, Abu Sayed Sher Mohammad,32, son of Abdus Sattar of Bogura Sadar and Md Roni Mia,29, son of late Khorshed Mia of Narayanganj. Read more: 26 members of new militant group ‘Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya' held so far: Rab Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of Rab’s legal and media wing, revealed the information while briefing the media on Wednesday in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar. With these, 29 members of the new militant outfit have been arrested so far, said Rapid Action Battalion (Rab). Tipped off, they were arrested in a drive conducted by Rab-11 and Detective Branch in the area on Tuesday night. The elite force also seized some leaflets and books on radical views from the arrestees, Commander Moin said. Read more: Five suspected members of new militant outfit Jama'atul Ansar held In 2019, ‘Jamatul Ansar fil Hindal Sharqiya’ (Jamatul Ansar of Eastern Hind) was formed. Some leaders and activists of different levels of banned militant groups of Bangladesh including Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansar Al Islam and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B), joined together to start the activities of this radical militant group, said the Rab official.

With the arrest of four more members of 'Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya' from Laksham upazila in Cumilla,  26 members of the new militant outfit have been arrested so far, said Rapid Action Battalion (Rab).  Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of Rab’s legal and Media Wing, revealed the information while briefing the media on Friday in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar over the arrest.  Recently they arrested four militants -Md Abdul Kader, 24, Md Ismail Hossain,22, Muntasir Ahmmed alias Bacchu,23, and Helal Ahmed Zakaria, 33, he said.  Read more:Rab intensifies anti-militancy drive in CHT, 10 arrested Tipped-off, they were arrested during a drive conducted by Rab-11 and Detective Branch in Laksham on Thursday night.  The elite force also seized some leaflets, books on radical views from the arrestees, Commander Khandaker Al Moin said. During  interrogation they confessed to planning sabotages in different places across the country, said Moin.  They gave concrete information about six council or Shura members of the militant group including its amir (head) Mahmud, he said.  The arrestees also disclosed that the militant group had an agreement with  separatist group Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) to provide them shelter and training in exchange of money, he added. “The militant group has provided Tk 17 lakh to KNF to buy arms to train up their members. They gets fund to serve their purposes from different sources,” said the Rab official.  In 2019, ‘Jamatul Ansar fil Hindal Sharqiya’ (Jamatul Ansar of Eastern Hind) was formed.  Some leaders and activists of different levels of banned militant groups of Bangladesh including  Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Ansar Al Islam and Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B), joined together to start the activities of this radical militant group, said the Rab official. Read more:Militants’ involvement with CHT’s KNF group being investigated: Home Minister On Oct 21, the elite force said they arrested 10 people including seven members of the newly launched militant outfit and three members of  KNF from Bandarban and Rangamati. In 2021, the Amir of Jamatul Ansar fil Hindal Sharqiya had an agreement with the CHT-based armed group KNF regarding militant training in the area till next year, sad Rab.  As per the agreement, Tk 3 lakh per month and food expenses of all KNF members were to be borne, according to Rab. Earlier, on October 10, five men, including three youths, who apparently left home to join militant groups have been arrested by the Rab members from the capital's Jatrabari and Keraniganj. On August 23, eight youths from Cumilla sadar upazila went missing and a general diary was lodged with police in this regard after two days.  The incident sparked a huge sensation across media and social media and Rab started an investigation to rescue the victims and arrest the accused. On September 1, one of the missing youths, Shartaz Islam Niloy, 22, returned home. On October 6, Rab arrested seven people including four missing youths for involvement with a militant group from a drive conducted in Munshiganj, Naryanganj and Mymensingh following the information collected from questioning Niloy. On interrogation, the arrestees revealed that initially the members of the organization used to target youths from different parts of the country, including Cumilla.