ARSA leader Ataullah rented flat in Narayanganj posing as a Ctg-based fish trader

Leader of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) Ataullah came to Siddhirganj in Narayanganj four months ago and rented a flat at Bhumi Polli Residential Area, posing himself as a fish trader in Chattogram and avoiding handing over a copy of his national identity card under various excuses.

Ataullah Abu Ammar Jununi was arrested from a 10-storied house on Road No-6 in the Bhumi Polli Residential Area at 3am on Monday (17 March).

Meanwhile, police have taken Ataullah and his 10 associates into a five-day remand.

Pratyush Kumar Majumdar, superintendent of Narayanganj district police, said, "They have been remanded based on a case filed by RAB. We are hoping that we will get exclusive information from them during the remand."

According to information gleaned from sources, Ataullah had been living at a flat on the seventh floor with his wife, children and brother at a rent of Tk20,000.

ARSA top leader Ataullah, nine others arrested under Anti-Terrorism Act in Narayanganj, Mymensingh

The owner of the flat was an expatriate living in Italy, and Ataullah was let in the flat in his absence by his caretaker, sources said.

Prior to renting the flat on the seventh floor, Ataullah had rented a flat on the second floor of the same building, according to the owner of the flat Humayun Kabir, who spoke about Ataullah's fraudulence with his identity.

"Four months ago, a guy identifying himself as an army member came to me and said one of his relatives, who was a fish trader, wanted to rent a new flat. The army member added that his relative had been living at his house on rent till then, and I believed his words due to his army identity without feeling any need to verify the information," Humayun said.

Photo: TBS

"Ataullah was delaying giving his NID copy although I had asked him for it many times. After 40 days, he told me that he couldn't live in my small house and wanted to rent a bigger one on the seventh floor. After that, he lived at a flat on the seventh floor for another three months," Humayun added.  

When visiting the house today (19 March), this correspondent found that the flat on the seventh floor was locked.

People from faraway places have been coming to see the house after getting the news of Ataullah's arrest, and the caretaker of the flat has moved away and switched off his phone fearing his fate, our correspondent reported.

There was hidden panic among the locals, and rumours had been making the rounds since Ataullah's arrest. When Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members cordoned off the whole area and arrested Ataullah on the night of 17 March, the locals thought they were arresting some leader of the ousted Awami League government, who later learned that a Rohingya leader had been arrested, reports our correspondent.

According to the tenants of the house, Ataullah lived a very normal life. Some people thought of him as a sick person as he used to walk leaning on a stick or the shoulders of others.

They said Ataullah used to talk in the regional tone of Chattogram, and no one thought him to be a Rohingya leader.

He did not use to come out of the house much often, tenants added.

Sohagh, a local electrician who got the chance to go inside Ataullah's house, said he went there to drill the walls and found the house to be of a very normal nature without any fancy decorations.