Deported Bangladeshi Student: He plotted terror attack in France

A Bangladeshi recently deported from France for his involvement in militant activities had plans of going to Syria to join Islamic State.

Self-radicalised through various online contents, 24-year-old Saif Rahman was planning to conduct a terror attack in France. He was involved in jihadi propaganda and activities from September to December 2019, claimed Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC)officials.

For this reason, the French government deported Saif to Bangladesh after he was arrested by a law enforcement agency of the European country.

The CTTC unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police came up with this info after arresting Saif upon his arrival at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) on January 14.

Later, he was shown arrested under section 54 and sent to jail.

After translating a two-page official document written in French recovered from Saif's possession and through primary interrogation, CTTC officials learned details of his militant activities and filed a case against him under the Anti Terrorism (Amendment) Act 2013.

The Daily Star obtained a copy of the translated documents and the first information report (FIR).

Saiful Islam, deputy commissioner of CTTC unit, told The Daily Star yesterday that a case has been filed against Saif Rahman at the Airport Police Station under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

"The case is currently under investigation and we are checking whether any other Bangladeshi nationals have engaged in militant activities after joining him," he said.

On Wednesday, CTTC submitted a remand prayer in court for Saif's interrogation and the court set February 8 for a hearing on the remand.

According to investigators, born in 1997 in Bangladesh, Saif completed his O-levels in 2014 from European Standard School in Dhaka. He later completed A-levels from Oxford International School. Then on February 7, 2015 he went to France at the age of 18.

In 2016, Saif graduated from the University of Cergy-Pontoise, France and started part-time work in the university administration.

CTTC sources said Saif planned to travel to areas controlled by the IS in Iraq and Syria in 2020. But French law enforcement detained him before he could leave for Syria and put him in a detention centre for around two months, they said.

The FIR filed against Saif quoted the translation of the French document, which said youths who failed to go to IS-dominated areas often conducted terror attacks inspired by the outfit. As the presence of Saif in France became a terror threat, he needs to be expelled, the document said.

He was later expelled from France by the country's court, added the FIR.

A high-placed CTTC official, requesting anonymity, said the French law enforcement agency found evidence of Saif's militant activities and connection with the international militant outfit after analysing his digital devices. CTTC DC Saiful Islam said they have seized Saif's laptop and cell phone.

"We are suspecting that he might have some communication with local militant outfits. We will send the digital devices for forensic test now so that we can get details of his connections," he added.

This is not the first time that a Bangladeshi tried to go to Syria or Iraq to join an international militant outfit.

On January 23, CTTC unit arrested university teacher Minhaj Hossain, 38, who allegedly went to Turkey and then Syria in September 2020 to join international militant outfit Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS).

Failing to join HTS, Minhaj returned to Bangladesh after a three-month stay in Turkey and Syria, and then tried to communicate with Neo JMB to conduct subversive activities in the country, said CTTC officials.