A Dhaka court has placed four Bangladeshis, recently deported from Malaysia, on a four-day remand each in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.
The accused are Nazrul Islam Sohag, Md Redwanul Islam, Zahid Ahmed, and Mahfuz, all alleged followers of the extremist group Islamic State (IS).
The ruling came from Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Minhazur Rahman on Tuesday, following a remand hearing. Sub-Inspector SM Bakhtiar Khaled of the court’s prosecution wing confirmed the development.
The suspects were produced before the court from jail. Police sought seven days’ remand for each accused to further investigate their activities and affiliations. Inspector KM Tarikul Islam of the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, who is also the case’s investigating officer, submitted the remand plea.
According to police, the four individuals were actively involved with the banned terrorist organization while living in Malaysia. They allegedly recruited members, raised funds, and provided training for extremist operations through online platforms.
Intelligence reports suggest that some of the accused may have been planning further radical activities upon their return to Bangladesh.
The court was informed that these individuals contributed around 500 Malaysian ringgits annually to the group, disguised as “voluntary donations.” The funds were later laundered via international e-wallets and money transfer services.
The prosecution was represented by Additional Public Prosecutor Azizul Haque Didar, while defense lawyer Emdadul Haque Bijoy sought bail and cancellation of the remand, which the court rejected.
The Anti-Terrorism Unit filed the case on July 5 with Dhaka’s Airport Police Station, listing 35 individuals as accused. Of them, several have already been deported from Malaysia while others remain detained there. The full list includes individuals such as Parvez Mahmud Pabel, Sharif Uddin, Rahman Md. Habibur, Saleh Ahmed, and many more across different regions.
Earlier on July 4, Malaysian authorities detained 36 Bangladeshi nationals suspected of IS affiliations. Three were deported and arrested under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code upon their arrival in Dhaka. The fourth, Mahfuz, was later apprehended in Muradnagar, Cumilla.
Law enforcement continues its investigation into what they describe as a transnational extremist recruitment and financing network.