STAFF CORRESPONDENT

The Rapid Action Battalion yesterday claimed to have arrested six members of banned militant outfit Ansar Al Islam in Rupganj area of Narayanganj.

The arrestees are: the outfit’s training wing chief Abdur Razzak alias Ishak alias Saiba, 41; and members Shariful Islam alias Murad, 31; Ashiqur Rahman alias Usaiman, 27; Muhammad Zakaria alias Abar, 24; Al Amin alias Robin alias Samura, 24; and Abu Jar Maruf, 18.

On information from the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence, a team of Rab-1 arrested the six on Sunday and recovered a large number of books on extremism from their possession, said Commander Khandaker Al Moin, director of Rab’s Legal and Media Wing.

In primary interrogation, the arrestees admitted to be members of the Ansar Al Islam, adding that some of them went to India for training, Moin added..

Four such trainees were even arrested by law enforcers of India, and are currently serving jail there, said officials.

Moin also said the outfit members used to roam around in the guise of street vendors or hawkers to recruit members and collect funds to run the outfit’s activities.

They used encrypted apps to communicate.

Arrestee Saiba, who joined the outfit in 2015, was responsible for coordinating activities in Ashulia, Savar, Manikganj, Gazipur, and Mymensingh, and had direct communication with the outfit’s present ameer, said Moin.

As per Saib’s directives, the outfit’s newly recruited members were given training in Gazipur, Tongi, and Mymensingh.

Saiba used to meet with arrested Ansar Al Islam men at Kashimpur jail regularly.

Saiba even knew about those who escaped from the court premises in Dhaka last year and was aware that such an incident could happen.

“However, we are yet to know about his involvement in the incident. He did not give any clear information about the whereabouts of fugitive militants,” Moin said.

Arrestee Ashiqur used to coordinate training in Dhaka and Mymensingh, and provided treatment if any recruit faced physical complications.

Zakaria, who joined the outfit in 2020, used to provide Karate training to new members, and operated outfit activities in the guise of cosmetics business, he added.