Bangladesh detains Saudi Arab, Rohingya ‘militant’ in meeting 'with ruling MP Badi'

Hot on the heels of the deadly terror strikes, security forces have detained a Saudi Arabia national and three others during a ‘secret’ meeting with ruling Awami League MP Abdur Rahman Badi in Cox’s Bazar.

The three other detainees included the military wing chief of Myanmar’s ‘separatist militant group’ Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), officials said.

A ‘special taskforce’ of Border Guard Bangladesh and police raided Shamlapur in Baharchharha on Saturday afternoon following a tip-off.

MP Badi and several other public representatives, who were present at the meeting, obstructed the law enforcers from doing their duty and tried to snatch away the four  detained from the scene, BGB Teknaf Battalion-2 commander Lt Col Abujar Al Jahid said.

Syed Karim (Left) and Abu Saleh Al Ahmed Gammi

He identified the four as Saudi Arabian Abu Saleh Al Ahmed Gammi, RSO leader Salaul Islam, 50, Teknaf Upazila Council Chairman Zafar Alam’s relative Syed Karim, and one Maulana Mohammad Ibrahim from Tangail.

Besides MP Badi, Upazila Chairman Alam, Vice-Chairman Rafiq Uddin and Baharchharha Union Parishad Chairman Aziz Uddin were present at the meeting, the BGB official said.

He said the four detainees were being questioned at BGB’s Teknaf Battalion office.

“Details will be revealed to the media on Sunday,” he added.

But MP Badi, widely criticised for his alleged involvement in Yaba smuggling, denied he tried to obstruct the BGB in arresting the Saudi national and three others.

“I was at Inani at that time. I went to the spot hearing that several persons, including a foreign national, have been detained,” he said.

“I saw BGB officials there. Then the police led by Jahid Iqbal (executive magistrate) came.

Salaul Islam

“I only requested the BGB officials to move the four detainees away because many people were crowding the place,” he added.

The BGB official earlier said the number of detainees, including the Saudi national, was three and they were detained for distributing cash and relief among Rohingya refugees from Myanmar without permission.

Salaul Islam, listed by the home ministry as an RSO leader, runs a madrasa in Teknaf, officials said.

He is also accused in a case over violence in protest against the hanging of war criminal Jamaat-e-Islami leader in 2013 and another case over the 2012 attack on a Buddhist temple in Ramu.