The Ramna Division of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Detective Branch (DB) has arrested four active members of a banned extremist organisation during raids in Kamrangirchar and Keraniganj, seizing firearms, ammunition, and a drone.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Md Imran Chowdhury, 29; Md Mostakim Chowdhury, 25; Ripon Hossain Sheikh, 28; and Abu Bakkar, 25.
The four arrested individuals are followers of the ideology of the banned Pakistani militant organisation Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), multiple officials of the Dhaka Metropolitan Detective Branch (DB) have said. Following the operation, police filed a case under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Kamrangirchar Police Station.
When the accused were produced in court on Wednesday and a seven-day remand was sought, Metropolitan Magistrate Aminul Islam Junayed granted a four-day remand.
A team from the DB Ramna Division conducted a series of operations from Tuesday dawn until noon to apprehend the suspects. Additional Police Commissioner Md Shafiqul Islam, the chief of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Detective Branch, confirmed the matter on Wednesday.
The suspects were detained on Tuesday night from Dhaka’s Keraniganj and Kamrangirchar following a statement by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, who had claimed “there are no militants in the country.”
According to Detective Police, the suspects were planning acts of sabotage.
Providing details of the operation, police stated that Imran Chowdhury was arrested at 3:05 am on Tuesday from a residence in the Koylaghat area, adjacent to Tara Masjid in Kamrangirchar. Mostakim Chowdhury was subsequently detained at 5:40am from the Jianagar area of Keraniganj.
Later that day, at 12:30pm, Ripon Hossain Sheikh and Abu Bakkar were arrested during a raid in the Rasulpur Shikhson Bridge area of Kamrangirchar.
During the raids, law enforcement officials recovered one foreign pistol, one one-shooter gun, 14 rounds of ammunition, three empty shells, multiple smartphones, a metal detector, a drone, and drone-related equipment, as well as various books and leaflets.
Police sources believe the arrested individuals are active members of the banned organisation “Aksa.” It is alleged they were gathering arms, ammunition, and drones to coordinate and carry out acts of sabotage and clandestine attacks at various locations across the capital.
A case has been filed against the arrested suspects.
