4 ‘ABT men’ arrested in Faridpur

Police arrested four suspected leaders and operatives of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), including its Faridpur region commander, in raids on different areas of the district throughout Friday.

The militants had been planning major operations in the district, said Superintendent of Police Jamil Hossain at a press conference at his office yesterday.   

The arrestees were identified as Farid Mridha, 32, commander of Faridpur region ABT, of Alamnagar village; Sahidul Islam, 35, of Mukutarchar village; Mohasin Mollah, 35, of Charvisnupur village under Sadarpur upazila, and Nahid Mollah, 20, of Laxmipur village under Bhanga upazila of the district. 

Farid provided arms and training to the other members of the outfit, said the police official, adding that he had also motivated them through religious speeches.

Acting on a tip-off, police arrested Nahid in Laxmipur village in the early hours of Friday. According to information extracted from him, the others were arrested in Charbhadrasan upazila that night, SP Jamal said.   

During the raids, police recovered a pistol, a home-made gun, five rounds of bullets and 12 handmade bombs from the house and shops of the arrestees.

Police filed four cases against them with Bhanga, Sadarpur and Charbhadrasan police stations.