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ATU arrests top militant from Dhaka


Published : 13 Jan 2022 10:30 PM

Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU), special unit of the police, arrested a top militant from Gabtoli area in the capital Dhaka at midnight on Wednesday.

He was identified as Hafeez Mohammad Wahidul Islam, 38. He was working as a Hafez teacher at local Kumuria Hafizia Madrasa in Dinajpur.

According to the ATU officers, Wahidul Islam is one of the leaders of the banned militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in the Dawah branch of Dinajpur and Nilphamari districts. Under the guise of teaching, he had been conducting JMB's recruitment and other organizational activities.

Superintendent of Police (Media and Awareness) of the ATU Mohammad Aslam confirmed the arrest on Thursday.

He said five active members of the JMB were arrested on December 4 during raids at various places in Nilphamari. A case was filed against the arrested at Nilphamari Sadar Police Station. The arrested militants were later interrogated in police custody.

Based on the information provided by the arrested terrorists , a team of  the ATU conducted multiple  operations to arrest active JMB members in Nilphamari and Dinajpur areas. As part of that operation, ATU conducted raids in different areas of Nilphamari district on December 11. ATU personnel   arrested three active members of the JMB and handed them over to the court in the case of Nilphamari Sadar Police Station.

As a result, the active members of the area went into hiding in different areas of Dhaka and Chattogram. A team of ATU based on its own information arrested Hafeez Wahidul Islam, one of the chiefs of Dawah division of Dinajpur and Nilphamari districts from in front of the SS filling station on Gabtali -Aricha Highway on Wednesday midnight.

Mohammad Aslam Khan said that Hafeez Wahidul Islam is a Hafez teacher of Kumuria Hafizia Madrasa in Mandal under Khanasama police station of Dinajpur. Under the guise of teaching, he has been conducting recruitment and other organizational activities.

ATU seized a mobile set and two SIM cards from his possession. 

ATU will file a case against Wahidul Islam under the Anti-Terrorism Act.