Banned Islamist militant outfit Hizb-ut-Tahrir has recently been trying to rejuvenate itself by cashing in on the Ramadan religious fervour, intelligence sources have said.
According to sources in the outfit, at least 10,000 Hizb-ut members, divided in small groups, are currently active around the country. Their activities are mainly concentrated in Dhaka and Chittagong.
These members are reportedly doing public relations by organising small Islamic discussions and programmes that are common during the fasting month.
Intelligence sources said the members had been extending invitation to people to join the outfit and organise “subversive” activities.
They are mainly focusing on the dormitories of various educational institutions, away from the law enforcement radar.
Police have found that Tahrir members, divided in small groups, have also been contacting Muslim refugees from Myanmar, known as Rohingyas, in the coastal districts. They have been providing food, housing, job and education to these refugees.
“The militant group has been carrying on with its activities by dividing into small groups because they do not have any leader. Most of them have been arrested by RAB in massive crackdowns,” said Lt Col Abul Kalam Azad, director of the RAB intelligence wing.
The group was formed in 2001 with an aim to establish an Islamic state in Bangladesh. In 2009, the group and all its activities were banned.
Since then, Tahrir members had been keeping their network alive by being active on social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Google and Yahoo.
They have been mainly targeting private university and college students and the children of high profile politicians.
In a recent drive in Chittagong city, Kotowali police detained seven alleged Tahrir activists when they were trying to bring out a procession.
Since the beginning of the fasting month, many activists of the group could be seen distributing leaflets containing anti-state messages at various mosques in the port city, especially in the remote areas which police do not patrol regularly.
In the capital, law enforcers rounded up three supporters of Hizb-ut-Tahrir from the Badda area while they were distributing similar leaflets after the Jumma prayers last Friday.
MA Jalil, OC of Badda police station, told the Dhaka Tribune: “Many people [dressed in traditional Islamic attire] gather at the mosques for Jumma prayers on the Fridays during the holy month of Ramadan. They [Tahrir men] took this opportunity to do public relations staying under cover.”
Sanowar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of the Detective Branch of Police, who has been dealing with the militant group for many years, said: “Learning from their past activities, we are keeping a close watch on them. DB police have recently arrested some coordinators and leaders of the banned outfit. It will continue because some leaders and activists have recently come out by securing bail from court.”