Shamin Mahfuz arrested again over suspected links to Pakistani militant group

In hiding with his wife, Shamin has allegedly begun the process of forming a new militant organisation

Shamin Mahfuz, previously arrested on charges of militancy, has once again been detained, this time over suspected ties to the Pakistani militant organisation Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Members of RAB-11 arrested him in Narayanganj on Monday and later shown arrested in a case filed by the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) at Savar Model Police Station.

Shamin, alleged by police to be the founder of extremist group Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, had recently been released on bail. On Tuesday, a court granted ATU five days to question him in connection with the case.

While not named in the original case filed by ATU Inspector Abdul Mannan, Shamin was brought in for interrogation on suspicion of involvement with TTP. The case also names six others, including Faisal, who was arrested on Jul 2.

Faisal, identified by a single name, was shown arrested under Section 54 on Jul 3. On Jul 5, Mannan filed a case at Savar Model Police Station naming Faisal and five others: Al Imran alias Engineer Imran Haider, Rezaul Karim Abrar, Asif Adnan, Zakaria Masud, and Sanaf Hossain. The case alleges they are involved with TTP.

Faisal, 33, ran a small photocopy and telecom shop called "Bhai Brothers Telecom" near the Savar Upazila Health Complex.

According to the case file, Faisal confessed during interrogation that he had been influenced by TTP’s ideology, and travelled through Saudi Arabia to Pakistan with his associate Ahmed Jubair Yuvraj, 23. From Pakistan, the duo entered Afghanistan. Yuvraj was reportedly killed in an operation by the Pakistani military in Waziristan.

Faisal said that Imran Haider, also known as “Engineer Imran”, played a central role in influencing Bangladeshi youths for TTP operations. Imran and Faisal stayed in regular contact through social media.

He also named Rezaul, Asif, Zakaria, and Sanaf as his accomplices, who were similarly prepared for Jihad by TTP.

In 2023, Shamin was arrested with his wife and accused of founding Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, which was allegedly working in partnership with the separatist group Kuki Chin National Front (KNF), also known as the "Bawm Party", in the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Shamin’s alleged connection to KNF dates back to his student days at the University of Dhaka, where he befriended Nathan Bawm, now KNF’s leader.

According to the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit, Shamin was first detained in 2011 in a case filed in Thanchi, Bandarban. He was arrested again in 2014 at Jatrabari. After being released on bail in 2018, Shamin went into hiding with his wife and began efforts to form a new militant organisation.