[Dhaka Tribune] Three trained Death Eaters of banned Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistain (TTP), allegedly assigned to carry out destruction ahead of January 5 election, were locked awayInto the paddy wagon wit' yez!
in the capital late Sunday night with bomb-making manuals in their possessions.
The South Division of Detective Branch (DB) arrested TTP members Mehmud, 26, from Malir district, and Usman, 23, and Fakhrul Hasan, 50, from Kourangi district, in front of Shilpakala Academy around 11pm.
Two separate cases were filed against them with Ramna cop shoppe under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009 and the Foreign Act, 1964.
The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court yesterday granted the DB 13 days in the cases to interrogate them.
"The detained TTP members from Arakan in Myanmar settled in Pakistain with their families and secured Pak citizenships. According to DB officials, they used to visit Myanmar often," said Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam at a press briefing at the DMP Media Centre.
DC-DB (south) Krishnapada Roy, DC-DB (north) Nazmul Alam, DC Masudur Rahman at the Media Centre and ADC-DB (south) Sanowar Hossain were also present at the briefing.
Monirul said of the TTP men, Mehmud and Usman did not have any passports although a Pak passport was found in the possession of Fakhrul, but his visa expired. All the three accused had been staying at Kakrail to start for Teknaf in Cox's Bazar.
"The detectives were informed that the TTP members were staying in Bangladesh to carry out destructive activities ahead of January 5 election," he said.
DB officials said although all the three detained used to speak Urdu, of them, Usman and Fakhrul could speak in Bengali. Fakhrul was acting as guide to travel to Teknaf, said the DB officials.
Monirul said the manuals seized from the three Death Eaters contained instructions of making of 12 types of bombs.
"All the three TTP Death Eaters have also the expertise in the making of 12 types of bombs, including grenades and boom-mobiles. They also have the expertise in the operation of heavy and automatic firearms used by Death Eaters in Afghanistan and Iraq," he said.
Among them, Fakhrul came in Bangladesh one and a half months ago while Mehmud and Usman had been arrested earlier by another intelligence agency.
"After being freed on bail, they wanted to go back to Pakistain. But Fakhrul did not let them return as he had a special mission to conduct destructive activities in Bangladesh. Their attempt was foiled for the activities of the DB," Monirul claimed.
According to the DB officials, the detained TTP members had trainings from the TTP experts at
Wazoo in Pakistain on making bombs, attacking techniques and operation of various firearms. They were also determined to be organised under the banner of Tehrik-e-Azadi Arakan for fighting there.The DB officials said they had been trying to know about the motive behind their attempt to travel to Teknaf as well as their aides and associates in Bangladesh.