2 weeks ago
1
Bangladesh anti-terrorism constabulary are questioning an ex-soldier, arrested aft a manhunt that began past period pursuing warnings of attacks targeting airports, parliament and places of worship, constabulary said connected Saturday (May 16, 2026).
The suspect, named arsenic 23-year-old Mohammad Rahed Hossain Mahed, "had taken refuge successful a hideout adjacent the Indian border", said Md Moniruzzaman, caput of the constabulary presumption astatine Moulvibazar, a northeastern district.
Counterterrorism officers were questioning Mahed, who constabulary said was linked to a extremist Islamist group.
"The arrested idiosyncratic is simply a dismissed service unit subordinate and was inspired by the ideology of the banned outfit Dawlatul Islam Neo-JMB," a constabulary connection precocious connected Friday (May 15) said.
In precocious April, constabulary tightened airdrome information aft they warned of a imaginable attack, and a manhunt had been ongoing since then.
Police said the suspects could motorboat attacks connected cardinal installations, including airports, parliament and places of worship, utilizing "sharp weapons, firearms oregon explosive devices".
Bangladesh has periodically been targeted by homegrown militant groups inspired by Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.
An onslaught connected a bakery successful Dhaka successful 2016 killed 22 people, astir of them foreigners.
Around the aforesaid time, Al-Qaeda-linked militants killed respective secular writers and activists, including Avijit Roy, a US national of Bangladeshi origin.
Five men were sentenced to decease successful 2021 for sidesplitting the secular blogger.
