The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) is trying to figure out whether the new militant outfit Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya is related to Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, CTTC chief Md Asaduzzaman has said.
“We have information that the chief coordinator of this new militant organization in Sylhet, Dr Rafat, is the son of a Jamaat ameer. During interrogation, we will ask him whether his father or Jamaat-e-Islami instructed him to form this new militant organization,” the official said at a press conference in Dhaka on Thursday.
Asaduzzaman claimed that Rafat had been inciting youths in Sylhet to join militancy and Jihad for a long time.
“They have trained several youths in bomb-making. We have also identified one of the bomb makers. An operation is underway to arrest him,” he added.
The officer also told the media that Rafat is responsible for so many youths joining militant organizations.
the CTTC chief mentioned that Rafat was once involved with Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir.
“We could not confirm whether he was a leader of Shibir but he has secret connections with several organizations,” he added.
On Wednesday, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested three more members of the new militant outfit Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya from Narayanganj.
With these arrests, 29 members of the new militant outfit have been arrested so far, said RAB.
In 2019, Jama'atul 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, RAB official said.
