A case has been filed at Dhaka’s Airport Police Station against 35 Bangladeshi nationals deported from Malaysia on charges of involvement in extremist activities.
On Sunday (July 7), Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbubur Rahman accepted the case and scheduled August 11 for submission of the police report. The case was filed on July 5 by Mohammad Abdul Baten, an Inspector in the Intelligence Branch of the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU).
Police confirmed that three returnees—Nazrul Islam Sohag, Mohammad Redwanul Islam, and Zahed Ahmed—were sent to jail last Friday. ATU personnel took custody of the three upon their arrival in Bangladesh.
According to the case statement, the accused were inspired by the ideology of internationally banned terrorist organizations and had been operating in Malaysia for a long time. They allegedly used Malaysian IP addresses to recruit members and spread extremist propaganda among Bangladeshis via social media.
The complaint adds that the accused raised funds through voluntary donations reportedly paying an annual fee of 500 Malaysian ringgit and transferred the money to other countries via e-wallets and international money transfer services.
From April 28 to June 21, Malaysian police reportedly arrested the suspects, who were working in factories, construction, and service sectors. Authorities say they were engaged in activities meant to disrupt public safety and cause panic.
