Staff Reporter :
A former teacher of Lakehead Grammar School and a British-Bangladeshi were shown arrested on Tuesday in a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act although their families claim they were picked up three years ago allegedly by law enforcers.
The Detective Branch (DB) of Police said that they arrested Tehzeeb Karim, former teacher of Lakehead Grammar School and Yasin Mohammad Abdus Samad Talukder, a British-Bangladeshi, on May 17 from in front of Gausul Azam Mosque in Banani.
Family members, however, alleged that Tehzeeb went traceless from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on his return from Bangkok in the afternoon of May 17 in 2016.
Similarly, Yasin’s family alleged that some people claiming to be law enforcers picked up Yasin from Kakoli bus stand on July 14 of the same year.
After the arrest, Inspector Rabiul Alam of DB South’s Dhanmondi Zonal Team placed the duo in a Dhaka court last Friday, with a prayer for a 10-day remand in the case filed with Gulshan Police Station on January 30 last year. The court fixed Wednesday for hearing of the case.
In the remand prayer, Rabiul mentioned that the direct patronisation of the two accused led to the formation of Jama’atul Muslemin, a militant organisation which follows the ideology of al Qaeda, for the first time in Bangladesh.
He also said Tehzeeb was an active member of the organisation. In 2010, the former teacher went to Yemen to meet radical preacher Anwar al-Awlaqi, a key al-Qaeda figure. While there, Tehzeeb was arrested and imprisoned for 10 months. Tehzeeb once also visited Pakistan.
The DB Inspector also mentioned in the remand prayer that the two formed an NGO, the Research Centre for Unity Development, through which they used to recruit members and expedite the militant activities of Jama’atul Muslemin.
Besides, Yasin was a follower of the Amir of Ansarullah Bangla Team Jashim Uddin Rahmani, who is also an accused in the case. The remand prayers added that Yasin used to visit Rahmani at his Hatembagh Mosque. He would edit and upload videos of Rahmani’s radical lectures on Rahmani’s instructions.
