Five alleged members of new militant group arrested

The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested five alleged members of a new militant outfit, Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, from Demra area of the capital on Wednesday. 

The arrestees are Md Abdullah (22), Md Tajul Islam (33), Md Ziauddin (37), Md Habibullah (19), and Md Mahamudul Hasan (18), CTTC chief Md Asaduzzaman told a press conference at the DMP media center yesterday, adding that police seized three mobile phones, and 12 pages of fatwa-related papers from their possession. 

According to the CTTC, planning for forming the new militant group Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya started in 2017. After that, the group members began training in the hilly areas of the country. 

Recently, several members of the outfit have been arrested by law enforcement agencies. However, the purpose of the group is still unknown. 

The CTTC chief said the objective of this group can be determined after the arrest of its chief Shamin Mahfuz, but it can be assumed that they had a plan of sabotage inside the country.  

"We will be able to know whether they have any plan centring the upcoming elections after arresting their leader," he said.  

Asaduzzaman also said that the youths had left home for pilgrimage to take part in militancy. 

Arrested Abdullah was managing an "Ansar House". 

He used to accommodate people from different parts of the country who left home to join the new militant outfit. 

From that Ansar House, Abdullah would send members of the group to the hilly areas for training.