Hill Voice, 26 June 2023, Dhaka: The much-talked chief of the newly formed militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, Shamim Mahfuz, was arrested with his wife Fatema by the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime Department (CTTC) of police.
The cheif of CTTC Md. Asaduzzaman told the media in a press briefing that Shamim Mahfuz and his wife were arrested in a raid at a house in Demra in the capital last Friday (June 23, 2023) around 10:30 pm.
The CTTC Additional Deputy Commissioner Imran Hossain said that foreign-made weapons and explosives were recovered from their possession during the arrest.
Notably, eight youths went missing from Comilla from August 23 in 2022. When the law enforcement agency went on investigating into the incident, they were informed about a new militant organization named Jamaat Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya.
It is further worth mentioning that soon after its formation, the Islamic militant outfit had an agreement with the once army-backed Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) in Bandarban for shelter in hill and military training in exchange for three million taka a month. The agreement was signed in 2021 between the militant group and KNF founder Nathan Bawm for a three-year long training.
The CTTC unit of police have recovered a recording of Shamim Mahfuz, the founder of militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya. In the record, there have statement of the militant organization’s Shura member and Nathan Bawm, head of the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF). As the news of giving shelter and military training to the militant-member of Jamaatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya by KNF in Ruma, the army, RAB, SSF and CTTC launched combing operation against the Islamic militant organization and KNF known as Bawm party from last October 2022.
Both parties fell in presure as a result of combing operations. So KNF offered the members of Jamaatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya to surrender to law enforcement agencies. But Shamim Mahfuz refused it. Rather, he insisted for armed jihad and directed his militants for attacks on law enforcement agencies.
Worth mentioning that, earlier on March 28, 2011, Shamim Mahfuz and his accomplice Ismail Hossain were arrested by the police from Kalaipara area of Bolipara in Thanchi under Bandarban hill district. Then he was chief of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The recovering of a huge amount of explosives including weapons made a commotion among the people.
After two years, he was released on bail. Then in 2014, he was arrested again from Jatrabari in the capital.
In 2018, the High Court released him on bail. After coming out from the jail, Shamim Mahfuz had consultation with the Islamic militant leaders in jail and formed another militant organization naming Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya.
Having an agreement with KNF, known as the Bawm Party, Shamim Mahfuz opted Ruma and Rowangchari hilly area in Bandarban, for their hidden den and military training for his militant workers.
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