4 suspected members of Ansar al-Islam held in Rajshahi

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) have arrested four suspected members of banned Islamist outfit Ansar al-Islam from Bhoruapara area in Rajshahi. Hayat Ullah Rubel, Abdur Rahim, Mizanur Rahman, and Mukul were arrested with seven jihadi books Monday night. Police sources said Rubel, Rahim, and Mizan were arrested from Jamira village and later Mukul was arrested based on the information received from them. Commanding Officer of RAB 5 Lt Col Mahabub Alam said: “Acting on a tip-off, we arrested them from the area last night.” He said they will be sent to court later in the day. On March 5, 2017, the government declared outlawed Ansar al-Islam, the Bangladesh chapter of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), which is responsible for over a dozen attacks on war crimes trial campaigners, secularists and LGBT rights activists in the last couple of years.