In Bangladesh, police have arrested a dismissed army personnel in Moulvibazar district over alleged links with the banned militant outfit Neo-Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, or Neo-JMB. The accused, identified as twenty-three-year-old Md Rahed Hossain Mahed, was arrested during a special operation conducted by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police in the Islamnagar area of Barlekha upazila early Friday.
According to police, Rahed was wanted in a terrorism case registered under the Anti-Terrorism Act at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station in Dhaka in February this year. Investigators alleged that he was influenced by Neo-JMB ideology and had maintained contact with another extremist suspect, Ishtiaque Ahmed alias Abu Bakar, who was recently arrested.
Officials of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit said a Dhaka court granted a three-day remand for his interrogation after he was produced before the court on Friday.
Law enforcement agencies claimed that Rahed had been absconding since a nationwide alert was issued in April over possible extremist attacks on important state installations, including airports, parliament, and security establishments.
Police further alleged that he was attempting to flee to India through the Bangladesh-India border in Barlekha upazila at the time of his arrest. Authorities said investigations are continuing to determine the extent of his involvement and his possible connections with other extremist suspects.
