RAB identifies 38 suspected militants

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has identified 38 of the 55 people who went missing for over a month to two years on 'hijrah' (a reference to Prophet Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Medina).

RAB speculates these missing persons have joined Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya and are secretly training in remote areas of Chattogram Hill Tracts, where multiple law enforcement agencies of the country have launched joint operations.

The new militant outfit is reportedly working to mislead youths of the country, RAB said at a press briefing in Dhaka yesterday, after arresting five militant leaders and operatives from Dhaka's Jatrabari and Keraniganj.

The arrested are Shah Md Habibullah alias Habib, 32, one of the main patrons of the banned outfit, Neyamot Ullah 43, Md Hussain, 22, Rakib Hasnat alias Niloy, 28, and Md Saiful Islam alias Rony alias Jayed Chowdhury, 19. 

Five booklets and around 300 pamphlets of the neo-militant organisation were recovered from them.

Reportedly, these people were in safehouses in different areas of Patuakhali and Bhola where they would get physical training for militant attacks in secret char areas of the aforementioned districts.

They were also trained to be able to disguise themselves as masons, painters, and electricians.

Recently, RAB came to know about the new extremist outfit after arresting several missing youths who secretly joined the organisation.

The organisation started operating in 2017, gathering members from various banned militant groups. 

In 2019, it was renamed "Jama'atul Ansar fil Hindal Sharqiya," said Khandaker Al Moin, legal and media wing director of RAB, after arresting seven members of the new outfit in raids across different parts of the country earlier this month.

According to RAB, the militant group was preparing for armed attacks, recruiting people from different parts of the country and training them in several stages.

The regional leaders of this radical group recruit operatives mainly with theoretical discussions and angering people against the government, law enforcement, and the constitution, and promising to serve Islam.

Khandaker Al Moin said the youths left their homes for 'hijrah' and secretly joined the group. Some of them have been sending money to their families.

Responding to a question, Commander Moin said, "The detained Habibullah funded the militant outfit with money collected as donations for madrasas and mosques. We are still at an initial stage and do not yet know who are in leading positions of the organisation."

Asked if any of the missing persons had left the country and how they were sending money to their families, the RAB media wing commander said, "We might learn if any of the missing persons have left the country once some more of them are arrested.

"A number of the suspects are sending money to their families, who think they are living abroad. However, the militant suspects are actually sending money from places inside the country."