UK citizen remanded in Dhaka for link with Syrian militants
A Bangladesh origin British citizen, who fought against the Assad government in Syria, was today placed on a three-day police remand for his alleged link with Syrian militants.
A Dhaka court passed the order after detectives produced Samiun Rahman alias Ibn Hamdan, who flew in to recruit jihadists for Syrian militant groups six months ago, with a 10-day remand prayer.
He was arrested from Kamalapur in Dhaka today following information gleaned from some people arrested recently over alleged links with militancy, said Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, at a press briefing.
Samiun came to Dhaka in February to recruit jihadists from Bangladesh and Myanmar, Islam claimed.
Using information and communication technology and social networking websites including Facebook, he communicated with the people who are interested to join militants in Syria, according to the police joint commissioner.
Samiun promised that he would take the interested Bangladeshis to different parts of Syria where several militant groups including Islamic State, al-Qaeda and al-Nusra Front raised jihad, Monirul told the reporters.
“From his passport we came to know that he went to Syria in September last year and took part in the demonstration against Bashar al- Assad,” the DMP spokesperson said.
“He also went to Morocco and Mauritania but we are yet to know the reason behind his trips,” he added.
Samiun served jail in Britain for few days for taking excessive alcohol where he decided to join the jihadists fighting for Islam, Monirul said.
Asked whether he is an IS member, Samiun replied in English, “I am not an IS member. To know more about me contact with the UK embassy.”
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