CTTC arrests Ansar-al-Islam coordinator
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News Desk
Abu Kaiser alias Rony has been working with the militant group’s members to carry out attacks, police say
The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) Unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has arrested the coordinator of banned militant outfit Ansar-al-Islam, previously known as Ansarullah Bangla Team.
Abu Kaiser alias Rony was arrested from Dhaka’s Bangshal area on Tuesday night during a raid, confirmed DMP’s Deputy Commissioner (media) Masudur Rahman.
He said, during the raid, the CTTC Unit team also seized two passports and a mobile phone from Rony.
CTTC Unit sources said Rony told police during preliminary interrogation that he served as the militant group’s coordinator.
After travelling to Dubai in 2018, he used instant messaging app Telegram and other similar apps from there and coordinated activities aimed to implement the organization’s ideals in Bangladesh.
He spent seven months in prison after Dubai police arrested him in 2019 on suspicion of committing terrorist activities. Afterwards, he was sent back to Bangladesh.
After coming home, Rony reorganized the members of Ansar-al-Islam and started working to carry out destructive activities, said sources.
Some CTTC Unit officials said, recently following his direction, some members of Ansar al-Islam had planned to attack the ISKCON temple and other ISKCON establishments in the name of jihad.
Earlier, three members of the militant outfit, arrested in other cases, said in their confessional statements in court that they planned the attacks following Rony’s instructions.
During interrogation, police also learned that Rony raised money, including crypto currencies, for the organization on various past instances through Telegram and other online chat groups.
During his stay in Dubai, he also tried to buy explosives online to help his followers carry out attacks.
According to CTTC Unit, Rony was recruited into Ansar-al-Islam by the militant group’s recruiter Nazmul, who also went by Usman Ghani and Abu Aiyub Al Ansari.
Nazmul had coordinated the assassination plan and murder attempt of Khizir Hayat Khan for making anti-terrorism films. In this connection, two members of the organization were also arrested in 2018.
Reference: Dhaka Tribune