Missing doctor is a ‘militant’

Counterterrorism officers claimed that the young doctor who was allegedly picked up from home by men in plainclothes on Sunday is a financier and recruiter of banned militant outfit Ansar al Islam.

Officers of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of police also said yesterday that Shakir Bin Wali was arrested on Tuesday in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

"Shakir has contact with the seven youths from Cumilla [who went missing recently]. Being motivated by him, they joined Ansar al Islam and started hijrat [migration]," reads the complaint against him.

Ansar al Islam, formerly known as Ansarullah Bangla Team, is said to be the Bangladesh chapter of al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent. The outfit is behind the killing of several secular bloggers, publishers and LGBTQ activists.

Inspector Kazi Mizanur Rahman of the CTTC unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police filed the case with Rampura Police Station against Shakir and an 18-year-old named Abrarul Haque on Tuesday night.

According to the complaint, a CTTC team first arrested Abrarul in Moghbazar area around 2:00pm on Tuesday. Based on information he provided, the officers arrested Shakir in front of his house in Rampura around three hours later.

However, Shakir's father AKM Wali Ullah, who is also a doctor, said on Monday that four men identifying themselves as members of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) picked up his son from his house on Sunday.

Wali Ullah told a press conference yesterday that the law enforcers did not follow the due process while arresting his son. He added that the allegations against his son were baseless and the law enforcers were making these up to cover up the arrest devoid of due process.

The complaint against Shakir also mentions that he is an active member of Ansar al Islam who radicalises youths. At least two of his family members helped Shakir in carrying out his activities, it added.

Seven youths aged between 17 and 25 went missing from Cumilla on August 23. A top police officer earlier said the missing individuals' possible involvement in militancy can't be ruled out.

The individuals, who knew each other, did not take spare clothes or phones, when they left home, according to the general diaries filed by their parents with the Kotwali Model Police Station in Cumilla. Shakir has trained the youths for the so-called jihad, said the complaint.

CTTC chief Md Asaduzzaman said officers were trying to find out the seven missing youths taking information from Shakir.

He also said Abrarul, the other arrestee, was also radicalised and he planned to run away from home.

Four of the missing youths are Abrarul's friends and he introduced them to Shakir.