Terror Training: Two ‘missing’ men left for CHT hills, not Afghanistan
Two young men -- Shibbir Ahmed and Abdur Razzak -- went missing from Sylhet in March 2021. Their families have never heard from them since.
Months later, law enforcers arrested several members of Ansar Al Islam, a pro-al Qaeda militant outfit, and learnt from them that the two, along with another man, had gone to Afghanistan.
For the authorities here, the information was a cause for big concern, as the Taliban had just taken control of a significant part of the country at that time.
But, officers recently came to know that Shibbir and Razzak went to the hills in Bandarban and joined a new militant organisation, Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya.
The two along with many others stayed in the camps of CHT Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) on the hills where they received rigorous physical training and learnt how to use firearms. The KNF provided the training, food and shelter in exchange for Tk 3 lakh a monthfrom Jama'atul Ansar, law enforcers said.
Officers learnt about this following the recent arrests of top militant leaders and the seizure of a mobile phone containing a video clip that shows Jama'atul Ansar men in brown and grey camouflage outfit are receiving training on the use of firearms.
Shibbir, 25, known among the militants as Hamid Karche, was seen wielding a firearm. Rab officials said he was the military commander of the outfit.
Shibbir is from Uttar Faridpur village in Sylhet's Dakshin Surma upazila, said a Rab officer.
He has a madrasa degree equivalent to the masters, and he worked at a madrasa for two years before he disappeared.
His father Abdus Salam, who saw the video clip, said he was shocked.
"I recognised my son and immediately informed the police. I don't know what to do. In the last two years, I did everything to find my son. He was the sharpest among my five sons. He was polite and honest," Salam told The Daily Star.
Khandaker Al Moin, director (legal and media) of Rab, said officers have information that Razzak also joined the militant group in the hills.
His brother Salman Khan said Razzak never contacted the family after leaving home. Salman filed a general diary with Kotwali Police Station in Sylhet on March 25, 2021, about the disappearance.
Razzak also studied at a madrasa in Sylhet.
About a couple of months ago, Rab published a list of 55 young men, who left home for the hills and took training on using firearms and explosives. Most of them are on the run.
SCORES LEFT HOME
Law enforcers in August last year learnt about a large number of young men leaving home to become militants following reports that seven men left home in Cumilla at the same time. This led Rab to investigate the matter.
One of them is Partha Das alias Al Amin of Maguraghona in Khulna's Dumuria. His name was on the first list of the 38 missing men, which Rab published several months ago.
Our correspondent in Khulna learnt that Partha converted to Islam seven years ago, and changed his name to Al Amin.
His father Manik Das said his son dropped out of school when he was in class-VIII and became a carpenter.
Manik said his son got a job in the capital's Mirpur-14 in 2016.
"He contacted us for seven to eight months and used to send us Tk 4,000 a month. Then I learnt that he converted to Islam. Since then, we have not been in touch."
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