Banned militant outfit 'Ansar Al Islam' is carrying out organisational activities under a different name.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has confirmed such information after three members who were operating the organisation in the name of 'As-Shahadat' group have been arrested from Choufaldondi area in Cox's Bazar.
Extremist booklets, leaflets and manuals for making explosives were recovered during the operation.
Commander Arafat Islam, director of RAB's Legal and Media Wing, confirmed the matter while speaking at a press conference organised at Cox's Bazar RAB-15 office on Friday afternoon.
The arrested persons are Md Zakaria Mondal, 19, son of Abdul Wahab of Islampur area in Jamalpur district, Md Niamat Ullah, 21, son of Nurul Amin of Borhan Uddin Upazila in Bhola district, and Md Ozayer, 19, son of Idris Ali of Sonagazi upazila in Feni district.
Commander Arafat Islam said based on the intelligence information of the RAB headquarters, RAB-15 and RAB-7 jointly conducted the operation from Thursday midnight to Friday morning in Choufaldondi area.
Three people were arrested during the operation and they are active members of 'Ansar Al Islam'. The activities of Ansar Al Islam almost came to a standstill as a result of regular raids by RAB and other law enforcement agencies. In the name of Ansar Al Islam, it is failing to conduct other activities, including recruitment of new members. In order to run their activities, Ansar Al Islam ideologue created a new militant group called 'As-Shahadat' and started recruiting new members and conducting invitational activities. The group is being run from a neighbouring country and the organisation has an estimated membership of 85-100 people.
The founders of this group are Habibullah, a citizen of a neighbouring country, and the alleged Amir Salahuddin. They also claim Bangladesh as a branch of this organisation. The Amir in charge of the regional branch of this group was Ismail Hossain, who was earlier arrested by RAB. Other members of this group are staying in different areas of the country, including in Dhaka. They joined the organisation through its members after watching the speeches of various extremist leaders online.
The RAB official said according to the three arrested persons, many of their important and leading members were arrested during various operations of the law and order forces. They are recruiting new ones to revive the organisation. They used to target the younger ones first as they could easily brainwash the younger generation by misrepresenting them. Therefore, most of the members of this organization are young people aged 19-20 and students and teachers of madrasas.
He said the arrestees have been handed over to Cox's Bazar Sadar Police Station after filing a case in this regard.
