Terrorism case accused arrested in Moulvibazar

Police have arrested Md Rahed Hossain Mahed, 23, a dismissed member of the Bangladesh Army and an alleged member of the banned extremist outfit “Maktabah Al Himmah Addawatul Islamiyah”, during a special operation in Baralekha upazila of Moulvibazar.

The arrest was made at around 2:30pm yesterday in the remote Shaitghari area of Bobarthal, following a nearly 12-hour operation conducted by Baralekha Police Station, said Barlekha Police Station Officer-in-Charge Moniruzzaman Khan.

Mahed had been in hiding since the issuance of the red alert and was attempting to flee to India via the border region, he claimed.

The officer added that the suspect was later identified as an accused in a case under investigation by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

The case was filed with Shahbagh Police Station on February 2 under the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Following a request from the CTTC unit, the suspect was handed over to CTTC officials at around 11:30pm for further legal proceedings.

Moniruzzaman Khan also said the suspect had provided “important information” regarding his alleged involvement in extremist activities during initial interrogation.

According to law enforcement, the operation was initiated after an intelligence alert issued by Police Headquarters on April 23, warning of potential extremist attacks targeting key state installations and security personnel, including the Jatiya Sangsad.