Members of a new militant organization named ‘Imam Mahmuder Kafela’ set up their hideout in a deserted area of Moulvibazar’s Kulaura upazila two months ago for training activities.
Additional Commissioner of Police and CTTC chief Md Asaduzzaman came up with the information in a press conference organized at DMP Media centre in the capital on Sunday afternoon.
Inspired by the call of the alleged Imam Mahmud, six families left their homes and took shelter to the hilly area, said the CTTC chief.
Jamil, a follower of the militant organization, bought 50 decimal lands in Tattiuli village of Karmadha union under Kulaura upazila and built this training centre.
The CTTC unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) carried out the raid and arrested 10 militants of the new organization from the hideout on Saturday.
The local policemen initially cordoned off the residence in the village on Friday night. Later, a police team of special weapons and tactics (SWAT) unit under the CTTC went there on Saturday morning and carried out the operation. The arrestees include four males and six females with three minors.
CTTC claimed that in the operation, a large quantity of explosives, 50 detonators, various sharp weapons, other training materials, extremist books, cash and gold ornaments were recovered from the militant training centre.
The CTTC chief said in the press conference that the arrested accused said that the alleged Imam Mahmud told them that all those who will participate in this jihad will be rewarded in the hereafter. The first step in preparing for Jihad is to leave home. So they all met at the spot to organize under the leadership of Imam Mahmud to be prepared for Jihad.
How the hideout was found
Recently, there have been reports of disappearance of people of different ages with and without family from different areas of the country including Jessore, Sirajganj, Jamalpur. Later, CTTC's Counter Terrorism Investigation Division started an investigation in this regard.
Among the missing, information was available about a physician Dr Sohel Tanjim Rana from Enayetpur of Sirajganj district, Notre Dame College student Fahim from Jessore district, Ershaduzzaman Shaheen from Jamalpur and many others.
Based on this source, CTTC arrested a total of 10 militants who had left their homes on the call of the alleged Imam Mahmud from different parts of the country including Jhenaidah, Meherpur and other places of the country, in a raid Gabtali area under Darussalam police station of the capital on August 7.
At that time, eight children who were with them were taken into custody.
Based on the information provided by the arrested people, it is known that a total of six families left their homes, inspired by the call of the alleged Imam Mahmud.
Among the arrested militants, there were five families from Meherpur district and one family from Jhenaidah district.
Farhad, another member of the same group was arrested during a raid in the Mirpur Government Bangla College area under the Mirpur Model Police Station of the capital on August 12 midnight.
Later, he gave information about some of the followers of the organization who set up hideout in Moulvibazar.
He said other members of this organization, including the one who is identifying himself as Imam Mahmud, are under surveillance.
“We are trying to arrest them. The entire matter will be clear only if he is arrested.”
When asked how long ago the hideout was set up, the CTTC chief said it was set up two months ago.
