Jamaat ameer involved in breeding new militant outfit: CTTC chief

Ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Shafiqur Rahman was involved directly in providing assistance to the activists of new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya to take training in Bandarban and bear the expenses, chief of the Counter Terrorism & Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of DMP Asaduzzaman said Tuesday.

Briefing reporters at Dhaka Metropolitan Police media centre, Asaduzzaman said Rafat, son of Shafiqur Rahman, along with one of his associates were arrested from Jatrabari area of the city on November 9.

Before the arrest of Rahat, the CTTC unit also arrested three members of new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya from Jatrabari area of the city while they were heading towards Sylhet for training, he said. Following the confessional statement from them, they arrested Rahat and his associates.

After interrogating Rafat, it is known that all the youth arrested had been involved in the politics of Shibir and now joined the new militant group, he added.

“Rafat was a member of Ansar Al Islam and collected some supporters from the militant group to join their new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya. A group of young people, who left homes recently, led by Rafat went to Bandarban from there they went to Sylhet for training from militants with Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), an armed group in the Chattogram Hill Tracts,” he said.

The Jamaat ameer was involved in sending the young people who left home recently to the hilly areas for training and bearing their expenses, said Asaduzzaman.

Besides, a physician identified as Shakir was also arrested in this connection.

CTTC unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested the ameer of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Shafiqur Rahman in the early hours of Tuesday.

A Dhaka court on Tuesday placed Jamaat-e-Islami ameer Shafiqur Rahman on a 7-day remand in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury passed the order after the hearing.