Jamaat amir on 7-day remand

A Dhaka court has put Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Shafiqur Rahman on a seven-day remand in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Jatrabari Police Station in Dhaka.

Metropolitan Magistrate Rajesh Chowdhury on Tuesday passed the order after police produced him before the court, seeking a 10-day remand.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit arrested Shafiqur from the city’s Bashundhara Residential Area earlier in the day.

CTTC unit chief Md Asaduzzaman told reporters that he was arrested for his alleged involvement in supporting and cooperating with the members of the militant group Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, with whom his son is also reportedly involved.

He said Shafiqur's son Dr Sadek Saifullah Rafat was arrested in Sylhet on November 9 for his alleged involvement with this new extremist outfit. Rafat and many of his associates were involved with Jamaat’s student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir.

He also said that 11 people from Sylhet attended the training camp of the separatist organisation Kuki Chin National Front in Bandarban after being inspired by Rafat.

Some of them went to Dhaka and some to Sylhet by hiring two microbuses after the group returned from Chattogram under special management with the consent and cooperation of Shafiqur, Asaduzzaman said.

The Jammat chief’s Sylhet house was occupied by Rafat and his associates who intended to carry out militant activities. Shafiqur supported and helped them financially and in many other ways, he added.

He said they have information that Shafiqur funded the group's “hijrat” and training in Bandarban. “We have arrested him for his involvement in all these matters.”

“We got some of this information from the top Jamatul Ansar leaders who have been arrested. They also told us that they are getting support from the Jamaat leaders as well,” said the CTTC unit chief.

Asked whether any other Jamaat leader is involved, he told reporters they have learned that some regional-level Jamaat leaders support the militant group. “We are looking into them.”

Meanwhile, Jamaat leaders and activists have strongly condemned and protested the arrest of their Ameer.

Jamaat Acting Secretary General ATM Masum said the government cannot stop the ongoing political protests in the country through such arrests. “The people’s movement cannot be stopped through fear, attacks and cases.”

In a statement, he demanded that the authority must immediately and unconditionally release the Jamaat leaders, including Shafiqur, and leaders of other political parties who have been arrested.

On December 11, the Jamaat chief announced a 10-point charter of demands, which largely overlaps with the BNP’s demands, and a mass rally on December 24 just after BNP announced its programmes.