Two arrested in Bangladesh for alleged links to Pakistan-based militant group TTP
The suspects, identified as Ahmed Faisal, 33 and Shamin Mahfuz, 49, were apprehended at different times from separate locations
Bangladesh Police have arrested two individuals this month for alleged connections with Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a Pakistan-based militant organisation.
The suspects, identified as Ahmed Faisal, 33 and Shamin Mahfuz, 49, were apprehended at different times from separate locations.
Superintendent of Police (SP) Barrister Mahfuzul Alam Russell of the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) confirmed the arrests to The Business Standard.
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He said, "Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) unit-11 arrested Shamin Mahfuz on Monday from Narayanganj and later handed him over to the ATU. He was presented before a court on Tuesday, which granted a five-day remand for further interrogation."
The SP added, "Faisal was initially detained on 2 July in Savar, but he was officially shown arrested in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 with Savar Police Station on 5 July. He is currently in jail."
Shamin has also been shown arrested in the same case.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, an officer of the Special Branch, told TBS that Faisal had previously been detained and handed over to ATU on 22 May but was released without charges due to lack of evidence.
Savar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Jewel Mia said Faisal was not arrested at the time due to insufficient evidence. "However, once his involvement was confirmed, he was arrested.
When asked about the case, the investigation officer Inspector Aminul Islam declined to comment.
The arrests follow a string of incidents raising concern over Bangladeshi links to foreign militant groups.
In late April, a young Bangladeshi national, Ahmed Zubair, 23, reportedly died while fighting alongside TTP forces near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
According to media reports, Shamin was previously arrested multiple times on terrorism charges.
In June 2023, he was arrested in Dhaka's Demra area along with his wife by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, who identified him as the head of Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya.
Prior to that, he was arrested in 2011 in Bandarban and again in 2014 in Jatrabari, Dhaka. He had been missing for years after being released on bail in 2018 until his arrest in 2023.
When asked about Shamin's release date and whereabouts following his 2023 arrest, Wing Commander MZM Intikhab Chowdhury, Director of RAB's Legal and Media Wing, stated that he did not have sufficient information on the matter.
