RAB arrests 3 including Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya Ameer from Munshiganj

The Rapid Action Battalion has arrested three members of newly formed militant outfit Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya including chief (Ameer) of the outfit Anisur Rahman Mahmud, 32.

The two other arrestees are Kazi Saraz Uddin alias Siraz, 34 and Mahfuzur Rahman Bijoy alias Babul alias Jambuli, 28. Rapid Action Battalion's Legal and Media wing Director Khandaker Al Moin told the media in a briefing that they had a tip off that the Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya Ameer and some of his accomplices were holding meeting at a "hideout" in Munshiganj.

"Upon receiving the information, RAB intiligence unit and RAB-10 cordoned off the location at Sunday midnight and arrested them at around 3am," he added. The RAB director also said that since October 2022, they have arrested a total 75 members of Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, which also joined hands with the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) at the Chattogram Hiltracts areas.

According to RAB, Anisur Rahman alias Mahmud used to work as a manager at CNG refueling station in Cumilla and he studied at a Madrasa. He was also a member of Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami (HuJI) earlier, another militant outfit.

He came to meet Roxy and Felani of Ansar Al Islam at a Cumilla restaurant and they decided to form a new militant outfit there. Later, they started Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya's activities from Jatrabari and held first organisation's meeting there. In 2016, he went to Bandarban and started promoting militant activities at Naikhangchari area among the Imams in local masjid. In 2020, he delved into the remote hilly areas of Bandarban to learn gun operation and military tactics. He took one month training in weapon operation and some other military tactics there from a man named Aslam. And he sold out around Tk50 lakhs worth of farmland in Cumilla to donate and operate new outfit. Later he also bought 3.5 bighas of land at Naikhangchari and started living with family. He established poultry farm and some other agri based endeavors to dodge the law enforers.

The Rapid Action Batallion (RAB) have arrested the chief of new militant outfit Jamaatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya along with his two associates, the elite force said on Monday.

Anisur Rahman Mahmud, the chief of the outfit, and the two associates Kazi Siraj Uddin and Mahfuzur Rahman Bijoy were arrested with firearms, explosives, and cash from Munsiganj on Monday morning, according to the press release.

The militant outfit is mainly accused of collaborating with the tribal insurgent group Kuki Chin National Front (KNF).

The press release said the members of Jamaatul Ansar took shelter in the hill tracts and were receiving training from KNF, following a deal between the groups. Later the continuous operations of RAB forced them to escape the hill tracts and live in incognito.