5 ‘ABT, Hizb ut-Tahrir’ men held in Dhaka, Ctg

Law enforcers claimed to have arrested three members of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and two of Hizb ut-Tahrir in separate drives in Chittagong and Dhaka today.

The detainees are: Farhad Hossain Ripan, 27, a former student of Chittagong University, Md Emran, 25, a former student of Chittagong Polytechnic Institute and Ahmed Roni, 21, a student of Shyamoli Ideal Polytechnic Institute in the port city.

On information, police conducted a drive at a house in Double Mooring area of the city around 12:30am and arrested Farhad, Nazmul Hasan, additional commissioner (Bandar zone) of DB of Chittagong Metropolitan Police (CMP), said at a press briefing in the port city today.

Another team of Detective Branch of CMP conducted another drive at a house in Shikalbaha village in Patiya upazila of Chittagong and arrested Emran around 1:00am, the official added.

One hour later around 2:00am, Ahmed Roni was arrested from his house in Dhalghat village of Patiya upazila by another DB team.

During the drives, the law enforcers also recovered two laptops, three mobile phones and “jihadi books” from their possession.

During primary interrogation, the arrestees admitted that they were the members of banned militant outfit ABT and had attended several meetings with ABT leaders in the district, DB official Nazmul said.

It is mentionable that they were “recruited” by one Musa Ebne Omayer, a converted Muslim, who is now in jail following his arrest by Sitakunda police in July, Nazmul added.

Musa, formerly known as Piklu Das, converted to Islam in 2013 in a bid to marry a Muslim woman.

READ ALSO: 5 'Ansarullah men' held in Chittagong

He, police said, used to look after the fund of the militant group.

Musa alias Piklu hails from Chhanahara village of Patiya Upazila in Chittagong.

Musa and three other Ansarullah men were arrested from Sitakunda’s Barabkunda area while they were planning to carry out attacks on law enforcers and industrial establishments in Chittagong on July 10. 

READ MORE: ABT planned to 'attack key Ctg installation'

2 'Hizb ut-Tahrir' men held in Dhaka

Police detained two Hizb ut-Tahrir activists when they were distributing anti-government leaflets in Gandaria area of Dhaka this afternoon, Kazi Mizanur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Gandaria Police Station, told The Daily Star.

The detainees are Hafizur Rahman Shaheen, a public administration student of Dhaka University and Zahidul Islam, an Islamic history student of Dhaka College.