Cops close in on Hizb-ut Tahrir operations in Ctg

Counter Terrorism (CT) unit of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (CMP) is getting a clear picture of the tricks and techniques used by banned militant outfit Hizb-ut Tahrir to carry out its activities in the port city, officials of the force told this newspaper.   

The operatives were using special smartphone apps to communicate with each other to dodge eyes of law enforcing agencies, CT officials have found, after interrogating 15 operatives of the group -- including the chief of Chattogram metro unit -- who were arrested from different areas of the city on November 23.

Among the arrestees are three top leaders -- Abul Mohammed Arshadul Alam (39), Abdullah Al Mahfuz (30), and Md Azimul Huda – who played vital roles to regroup the organisation in the port city, said CT officials.

Investigators said the operatives are now targeting English medium students in guise of teaching and other service-related professions with an aim to overcome funding crisis of the organisation, as these students typically have more money to spend than the average youth.

Apart from that, investigators also learned that posters, press releases and leaflets of the banned group were being sent from Dhaka via public transport.

Members of the outfit also used to send daily updates of their activities through designated charts through the app to their seniors, using code words.

CT officials said they found these daily reports from phones, laptops and other devices of the arrestees, where they saw all 15 arrestees used one specific smartphone app for internal communication.

“We found two of the arrestees were introduced to senior leaders while commuting through ridesharing services,” he added.

Talking to The Daily Star, Md Moinul Islam, additional deputy commissioner (ADC) (Intelligence) of CT unit, said, “We are monitoring the overall situation of the organisation and trying to find out its goals in the port city,” the ADC said.

Till now, two operatives have given confessional statements before the court under section 164 of CrPC.

Investigators found that the operatives used two different smartphone apps to set up their communication channels that were hard to trace for law enforcers.

CT officials told The Daily Star, “The men do not use their personnel phone numbers to install apps, in order to avoid being tracked.”

Arrestee Abdullah Al Munim, told a court during his confessional statement that Hizb-ut leader Mahfuz installed the app in his phone and asked him to only communicate through it. He added that he used to share locations and photos through the app as per Mahfuz’s directives, coordinate meeting spots and discussion materials through it.

Deputy Commissioner (DC) Mohammed Shahidullah of CT unit said, “Police have gleaned significant information about the outfit during interrogation and are now verifying those.”

(Details of the apps and techniques used by the group have been omitted for security reasons.)