The law enforcement agencies are conducting anti-militancy operations throughout the country since October last year…writes Sumi Khan
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) of Bangladesh has arrested four more members of the newly-formed militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya from Chattogram.
The elite force of Bangladesh Police has so far arrested over 30 members and leaders of Jamatul Ansar, said the commander of the force.
At least 17 members of Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), which is based in the Chattogram hill tract, were also arrested for assisting the Jamatul Ansar militants in training and other activities in the hills of Chattogram.
These militants were arrested in a drive conducted by RAB in the Patiya bypass area on Tuesday night, the elite force said at a press conference on Wednesday.
The law enforcement agencies are conducting anti-militancy operations throughout the country since October last year.
The four arrested Jamatul Ansar members have been identified as Hossain Ahmed (22), Nihal Abdullah (19), Al Amin (22 and Al Amin alias Partha Kumar Das (21).
Hossain Ahmed is from Dasmina in Patuakhali, Nihal and Al Amin are from Sadar in Cumilla, while Partha is from Dumuria in Khulna.
All the four accused left their respective homes as part of �Hijrat’ under the influence of newly-floated Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, and took part in arms training in the Chattogram hill tract, said Khandaker Al Moin, RAB Director (Law and Media).
Moin said that eight young men had gone missing from the Cumilla Sadar area on August 23 last year.
Later, their families filed general diaries at the city’s Kotwali Thana police station. During investigation, RAB got information about their affiliation to a new militant organisation named Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya.
At the same time, RAB also learnt that the members of the organisation were receiving arms training with the help of separatist outfits in the Chattogram hill tract area.
Based on the inputs, the elite force conducted an operation and arrested 10 people, including seven members of Jamatul Ansar and three members of KNF, from Bandarban and Rangamati.
Since then, RAB has carried out several operations across the country and arrested more than 30 members of the militant outfit.
