The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit of police on Sunday said that just detained four Ansar-al Islam members had plans of migrating to Afghanistan after attacking police and Border Guard Bangladesh members.
“They had planned to hizrat (migrate) to Afghanistan after carrying out a major sabotage attack in Bangladesh,” CTTC chief Md Asaduzzaman said in a press briefing on Sunday.
He said that a CTTC team, based on a tip-off, conducted a raid at Basila of Mohammadpur on Saturday night and arrested four members of Ansar al-Islam, better known as Ansarullah Bangla Team. A bag, a machete, two laptops and five smartphones were also seized from them, he said.
Among the arrested people, Jasimul Islam alias Jack is a student of Atish Dipankar University in Dhaka while Md Sajib Ikhtiyar is a student of Sunamganj Government College, Md Abdul Mukit is a teacher of Markazus Sunnah Al Islamia Madrasa in Nabiganj of Habiganj, and Aminul Haque is a student of Al Hidaya Islamic Institute, he added.
Asaduzzaman said that the arrestees had carried out a machete attack recently at a hotel in Sylhet, where they injured the hotel manager and fled the spot. They also recced several places as part of their plan to leave the country after attacking police and BGB members in Dhaka.
They have formed a group named Science Project and were trying to prepare explosives using oxygen cylinders, said Asaduzzaman.
“The police have learnt that there were 10 members of this science project or group so far. However, through this group they had many secret conversations within themselves. The statements of the arrested people are being verified,’ he said.
During interrogation they also revealed that they got involved with Ansar al-Islam through Farid alias Tarique and Abdullah, 'Masuls' or responsible persons of the organisation, said Asaduzzman.
Asked about whether they got any information regarding four’s communication with militants in Afghanistan, Asaduzzaman said, "Several militant groups, active in our country, claim to have links to al-Qaeda. Ansar al-Islam also claims to be a branch of al-Qaeda in the subcontinent.
“From that source, we came to know they might go to Afghanistan,” he said.
Asaduzzman, however, said all this information were statements of the four arrested extremists. “We are still not sure about these. Further investigation will reveal it,” he added.
