At least two members of Ansarullah Bangla Team, the Bangladeshi militant group newly discovered, who are followers of international terrorist organisation al-Qaeda, have been detained abroad for militant ties and activities.
One of those arrested by Detective Branch (DB) of police along with eight others during drives on Saturday and Sunday, Kazi Mohammad Rezwan Sharif, 30, had already served time in Yemen after he was arrested in 2009 while taking part in a militant training programme.
In a different case, Rajeeb Sharif is serving a 20-year term in the UK after he was arrested in 2009. He was a member of an outfit led by Izaz Hossain who fled to Pakistan.
The startling facts were discovered during interrogation of the nine detained, who include Izaz’s brother Naimul Hasan, Rezwanul Sharif and Junnun Sikder, DB officials said.
The trio along with Rezowan’s brother Moyeenuddin Sharif, Tehzeeb Karim, his brother Rajeeb Karim, Shehjad alias Turaj, Rezaur and Razzaq had gone to Yemen under the leadership of Izaz using the banner of Jam’atul Muslemin in 2008.
DB Joint Commissioner Md Monirul Islam said: “During Yemen visit, they closely communicated with Samir Khan, a close aide to Yemen based al-Qaeda leader Anwar Al-Awlaki, who was killed in 2011 in the US.
“They also took part in militant training programmes there. But Rezowan Sharif was arrested in 2009 during training along with several others of Yemenis.”
The other members of the outfit detained are Saiful Islam, Abu Hanif, Aminul Islam, Zahidul Islam, Ali Azad and Asad Ullah alias Piyas alias Abdullah.
Earlier, police arrested their ring-leader Jasim Uddin Rahmania, chief of Markajul Ulum Al Islami from Dhaka’s Mohammadpur, along with 30 associates from Barguna district.
DB’s Additional Deputy Commissioner Saiful Islam said Jasim, who was also an influential leader of Hefazat-e-Islam, wanted to be a leader like Laden in Bangladesh.
Another 10 members were arrested in connection with the killing of blogger Rajeeb Haider and attacks on two other bloggers.
