CTTC arrests 3 hizb-ut tahrir members in Uttara
A case was filed against them under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 (Amendment 2013) at Uttara West Police Station
The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has arrested three active members of the banned organisation hizb-ut tahrir from the capital's Uttara area.
According to a DMP press release issued this morning (7 March), a CTTC team conducted an operation in the Sector-11 and Sector-12 areas under Uttara West Police Station at around 12:15am Friday and detained the three individuals.
They were identified as Monirul Islam, 40, Mohtasin Billah, 40, and Mahmudul Hasan, 21, said the release signed by DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Talebur Rahman.
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CTTC sources said the unit carried out the raid after learning that the group was secretly meeting to plan out activities to carry out a "March for Khilafah" in the Baitul Mukarram National Mosque area today.
A case was filed against them under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 (Amendment 2013) at Uttara West Police Station, read the release.
During primary interrogation, it added, the three arrestees admitted to being active members of hizb-ut tahrir, which was banned on 22 October 2009 under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 as it was considered a threat to public security.
The seized evidence also supports their involvement. Efforts are ongoing to take legal action against their associates, said the release.
Meanwhile, the Police Headquarters said that hizb-ut tahrir is a banned organisation and that any of its activities are punishable offences under the law.
DMP yesterday (6 March) had reaffirmed that it will take necessary legal action if banned organisations, including hizb-ut tahrir, hold any meetings, rallies, and any other publicity events regarding their organisations.
The warning came after hizb-ut tahrir recently announced the "March for Khilafat" programme for Friday.
The organisation also put up thousands of posters on walls across the capital and distributed leaflets, calling people to join the event. The public display by a banned organisation raised eyebrows.
Meanwhile, a heightened presence of police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel has been seen at Baitul Mukarram Mosque to prevent any untoward incidents related to the planned gathering.
Police, RAB, and Detective Branch personnel are at every entry point of the national mosque. People who came to pray Jumma prayer are going under scrutiny and thorough checking at every entry points.
