Jamaat chief’s son linked to militant outfit
Rafat Chowdhury, son of Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer Shafiqur Rahman, is the Sylhet regional coordinator of Al-Qaeda-inspired militant outfit Ansar Al Islam and has been inspiring youths to leave their homes for so-called jihad, claimed police yesterday.
The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit (CTTC) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police made the claim after arresting Rafat from Sylhet city's Jalalabad area.
A CTTC team went to Sylhet, made the arrest and returned to Dhaka with the suspect, said Azbahar Ali Sheikh, deputy commissioner (north) Sylhet Metropolitan Police.
In July 2021, Rafat, along with 11 other youths from Sylhet, went on hijrat to Bandarban to join the so-called jihad. Before that, they communicated with the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army and Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), two insurgent groups, claimed the CTTC.
"Hijrat" is an Arabic word, derived from "hijr," which means "to depart."
Rafat held a meeting with the RSO leaders in 2021 at the zero line near the Naikkhangchhari border in Bandarban, said CTTC officials, adding that he returned to Sylhet for not getting adequate support.
Rafat, 29, a 20th batch student of Jalalabad Ragib-Rabeya Medical College, is popularly known as Rafat Abdullah on campus.
A student of the medical college, requesting anonymity, said Rafat's behaviour was suspicious.
"Rafat did not talk to other students much and did not even live in the college dormitory regularly. He used to ride a motorbike and often came to the dormitory late at night and left again in the morning," said the student.
Prof Abed Hossain, principal of the medical college, told The Daily Star yesterday that Rafat's batchmates completed their internships a year ago, but he failed to do it "due to some reasons".
But the principal did not mention the reasons.
He added, "Rafat is now doing his internship with BMDC permission."
About Rafat's involvement in militancy, he said they did not get any complaints earlier. "We have learnt about his militancy link after a police team picked him up from the college campus around noon."
CTTC officials said Rafat's involvement in militancy came to the fore after three Ansar Al Islam members disclosed his role before a Dhaka court on November 6.
Sezadul Islam Sahab, 24, Jahid Hassan Bhuyan, 21, and Syed Riaz Ahmed, 22, were arrested from the capital's Jatrabari area on November 1.
A case was filed against the three with Jatrabari Police Station.
According to the first information report (FIR), the arrestees went on hijrat several times on Rafat's directives.
Besides, the Ansar Al Islam members in Sylhet region, under his leadership, have taken "military training" from the banned outfit's Sylhet chief Kajal, reads the FIR.
Rahmat Ullah Chowdhury, chief of CTTC'S Bomb Disposal Unit, said Rafat has been involved in militant activities since 2019.
"Rafat used to hold meetings with the outfit members regularly at the "AT- Taqwa" mosque in Sylhet," Rahmat, also an additional deputy commissioner of CTTC unit, told The Daily Star yesterday.
"We may be able to give details after interrogating Rafat."
Rafat will be shown arrested in the case lodged with Jatrabari Police Station, said CTTC officials.
About the Jamaat links with the militancy, Mishuk Chakma, deputy commissioner of CTTC unit, said they would investigate all possible connections.
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