Bangladesh Jihadi Group, the newly formed militant platform consisting of several banned outfits, had plans on setting up its main base at Satkhira as the district would provide an easy escape route to bordering India in case of an emergency.
After carrying out acts of anarchy, the militants planned on using the Satkhira base as a hideout for the Jihadi Group – which included members from the JMB, Huji-B and Ansarullah Bangla Team. The site for the base had already been selected and preparation to set it up had been under way, said Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the Detective Branch of police.
The DB official said the information was extracted during the remand session of four Bangladesh Jihadi Group militants – also members of the Harkat-ul Jihad Al Islami Bangladesh (Huji-B) – who were arrested on Saturday during separate raids in the capital and in Narayanganj.
The arrestees are Maulana Mohammad Rafiq Ahmed alias Sajid, Md Umar alias Foyzul alias Roby, Md Nadim Ahmed alias Sumon and Md Salahuddin Ahmed – all aged between mid-20s and mid-30s. They are now on a six-day remand. The militants were planning to launch destructive activities in Dhaka, Rajshahi and Chittagong before hiding out at their new base in Satkhira from where they would easily be able to enter India if necessary, Monirul said.
Asked about Jamaat-e-Islami’s involvement in setting up the base in Satkhira – a known stronghold of the Islamist political party, he said: “It might be possible; but as we do not have any valid proof at this stage, we cannot comment on it right now.”
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune at his Minto Road office in the capital, the DB joint commissioner also said another reason for choosing to set up the base in a district near the border was because of a plan on sharing intelligence experience with Indian militant groups.
“The militant members, especially Huji-B members, are not only present in India but also a number of their supporters are in Pakistan and keeping a smooth contact with one another. However, we have not received any information on whether any supporter has ever gone to Syria or other places to join the so-called Jihad.”
Monirul added that detectives strongly believed that the local militant outfits had already successfully established connections with Indian and Pakistani militant outfits.
Without providing any detail, the DB chief said detectives interrogated the arrested men to find out the names of two financiers – both Bangladeshi citizens – who promised funding for the Bangladesh Jihadi Group.
The new militant platform’s three-pronged plan included recruiting members, carrying out targeted attacks on individuals, and orchestrating a mass killing to draw the attention of international militant outfits, said Monirul.
He added that the police were also trying to determine whether the activities of the recently arrested militants were linked to a recent explosion in India’s West Bengal – an incident which had suspected involvement of the JMB.
The police were also waiting for details about British citizen Samiun, who was arrested last month while trying to recruit members for militant outfit Islamic State. The British Embassy had contacted the police about providing the arrestee with his consular access, Monirul said, adding that the embassy was yet to take any initiative on taking back the British national.
