DB arrests 4 over alleged ideological links to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan

The Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police has arrested four individuals allegedly influenced ideologically by Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), a banned militant organisation.

The accused were produced before the court today (29 April), where Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Aminul Islam Junaid granted a four-day remand after police sought a seven-day remand, DB Additional Commissioner Shafiqul Islam confirmed.

The arrested individuals are Md Imran Chowdhury, 29, Md Mostakim Chowdhury, 25, Ripon Hossain Sheikh, 28, and Abu Bakar, 25, he added.

The DB official said the arrested individuals are members of a radical organisation called “ARSA”.

“However, this ARSA is not the Rohingya insurgent group Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army. This is a new organisation associated with TTP,” he clarified.

Shafiqul said law enforcement recovered a foreign-made pistol, a single-shot firearm, 14 rounds of ammunition, several spent bullet casings, multiple smartphones, a metal detector, a drone and drone-related equipment, military-style clothing fabric, as well as “jihadist” books and leaflets during the operation.

Following the arrests, a case was filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Kamrangirchar Police Station, the DB official added.

According to the case statement, Imran was first arrested around 3am on Tuesday (28 April) from the Koilaghat area of Kamrangirchar.

Based on information collected from him, Mostakim was arrested from Jiyanagar in Keraniganj, while Ripon and Abu Bakar were later detained from the Rassulpur area of Kamrangirchar in the afternoon.

Preliminary investigation suggests the arrested individuals had been collecting weapons and equipment with the intent to disrupt normal government activities and create public fear, Shafiqul said.