JMB leader arrested in Narayanganj

The Rapid Action Battalion or RAB, has arrested a leading member of the banned militant outfit, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), in Narayanganj.

The elite team arrested Tariqul Islam, alias Nazmus Sakib, 30, on Friday around 11pm.

RAB 11 conducted a drive in Narayanganj’s launch terminal area and apprehended the militant with numerous extremist books, leaflets, training manuals, and a machete.

Confirming the arrest, RAB 11 Senior Assistant Director, Md Alep Uddin, said: “Tariqul was the head of JMB’s southern region. He is accused in eight cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Explosives Act.”

In primary interrogation, Tariqul said he took over as JMB’s southern region head in 2016, after Abdullah Al Mamun was killed in a gunfight with the police in Khulna’s Bagerhat.

In an attempt to rebuild the organization, he had been secretly recruiting new members and collecting weapons in Dhaka and the southern region of the country.

He also said members of Islami Chhatra Shibir are planning to set up a training centre in the char area of the Jamuna River.

Legal action will be taken against the arrested militant, said the RAB official.