RAB lists 38 youths who left home with extremism motivation

The Rapid Action Battalion has listed as many as 38 youths in 19 districts who voluntarily left their homes after being involved with extremism. Families of many of those youths know that they are abroad as they sometimes send them money.

RAB said that at least 55 people have left their homes after being motivated by militancy in the past couple of years. Among them, 38 are reportedly staying in remote areas of Chittagong Hill Tracts and many of them have undergone various training.

Commander Khandaker Al Moin, RAB’s legal and media wing director, at a press briefing in RAB Media Centre in Dhaka’s Karwan Bazar on Monday came up with the information after arresting five youths associated with ‘Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya’.

He said that they started an investigation when eight youths went missing in Cumilla. Later, RAB arrested seven including four who joined Jamatul Ansar on October 5. Based on their information, RAB arrested another five – Shah Md Habibullah alias Habib, 32, Neyamot Ullah, 43, Md Hossain, 22, Rakib Hasnat alias Niloy, 28, and Md Saiful Islam alias Roni alias Zayed Chowdhury, 19, – in Jatrabari and Keraniganj of Dhaka on Sunday night.

Among them, Habibullah was an imam at Quba Mosque in Cumilla. He also used to teach in madrasas and joined Jamatul Ansar through one Neyamat Ullah in 2020, Moin said.

Habibullah is one of the financers of this outfit and he led dawa activities in Cumilla region. He used to collect money for the organisation in various ways and spend it on extremist activities.

Habibullah also used to run a madrasa at Naikhongchari of Bandarban for two years. He confessed that he has recruited and trained 15-20 members so far, Moin said.

Moin also said Neyamat Ullah was a teacher at a Cumilla women's madrasa and joined Jamatul Ansar in 2019. Neyamat used to arrange shelters for the new recruits at various stages after they left home.

Meanwhile, Hossain was involved in various activities of the organization for one year while Rakib worked as a delivery boy at a courier service and left home two months ago.

Saiful is a mason by profession and went into hiding from Noakhali last August after being motivated by militancy, said this official.

Replying to a question, Moin said, “Initially, we have information about 38 persons, whose names and addresses may vary slightly from area to area. The information has been shared with intelligence and law enforcement agencies. Currently, joint operations are on in the Chittagong Hill Tracts for arresting them.”