Ansar al-Islam activist held in Capital

Staff Correspondent: Dhaka, Apr-24,

Members of the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) of Bangladesh Police arrested an activist of the outlawed militant organisation
Ansar al-Islam from Baitul Mahfuz Jam-e Masjid area in the city’s Banani on Saturday night.

The arrested was identified as Md Ujjal Mia alias Ujjal Khandakar, 23, hailing from Baniyachang thana of Habiganj district.

Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) Police Super (Media and Awareness wing) Mohammad Aslam Khan confirmed the matter to BSS saying: “On secret information, an ATU team conducted a search operation in the city’s Banani area and arrested Ujjal Mia.”

A mobile phone, PDF files stored in a memory card attached to the phone, a seven-page booklet on “Call to the Muslim Ummah”, a 14-page booklet entitled “Training or Preparing for Jihad” (Episodes 1-13) and screenshots of several extremist videos stored in a memory card were seized during the searching
operation, he said.

The ATU police official further said that the arrested militant member had been conducting various activities for a long time with the aim of establishing a so-called caliphate in Bangladesh through spreading extremist propaganda, anti-state conspiracy and the upcoming so-called ‘Gazwatul Hind’ via social medias.

The arrested was inspired to speak by some other militants and became members of ‘Ansar Al Islam’ and secretly campaigned in support of the organisation through various social medias and encrypted chat groups.

During primary interrogation, he admitted that he was involved in the incident.

According to ATU sources, the detainee had been posting anti-state, anti-government, extremist and religiously provocative posts on social media. He targeted other militants and extremists to connect through his posts to
conduct activities in favour of “Ansar al-Islam”.

A case under Anti-Terrorism Act was filed against him at DMP’s Banani Police Station today.

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