Bangladesh: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2023

On January 1, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) Director General (DG) M Khurshid Hossain, handed over four boys and five girls to their families at a function titled "Naba Diganter Pathe”, who left their homes after getting victimised to militancy following various contents posted on Facebook and other online sites, reports Dhaka Tribune. The rescued boys and girls claimed that they left homes to pray in isolation and finally reached a militant camp. Later, they realized their mistake and returned from the militant den. But, as they could not return to the family, they kept roaming in different places. RAB rescued them on December 22, and took them into custody and handed them over to their families through counselling. Read less...

On January1, Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit arrested six Al-Qaeda terrorists, identified as Abdur Rob, Mohammad Shakib, Mohammad Shamim Hossain, Mohammad Nadeem Sheikh, Mahammad Abshar, and Mohammad Sayeed Uddin, reports The Daily Star. So far according to information, they were arrested from Syedabad Bus Terminal of Dhaka city, Chattogram District and Teknaf Sub-District of Cox’s Bazar District. Dhaka court placed the arrested militants on a five-day remand on January 2. CTTC Additional Commissioner Mohammad Asaduzzaman said the arrestees formed a team by communicating on social media and different apps. "They migrated to Teknaf and stayed there for militant activities, after training with local collaborators. They have more associates. An operation is underway to arrest them," Asaduzzaman stated. Read less...

Lutfozzaman Babar and Abdus Salam Pintu, ministers in the former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government in Bangladesh assisted Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) in its attempt to kill Shieikh Hasina in 2004 and also helped the outfit procure arms for use against India, Abdul Kahar Akand, investigation officer in the grenade attack cases told a Dhaka court, on January 2, reports The Hindu. The investigation officer stated, “Most of their recruits came from Pakistan-(occupied) Kashmir and Bangladesh... They had also mobilised funds, arms and ammunition for insurgents in Kashmir of India.” He further stated that HuJI trained many youths, mainly madrasa (Islamic Seminary) students, how to operate firearms and bombs. Akand asserted that HuJI-B had planned to eliminate Hasina and other Awami League leaders as their government in its 1996-2001 tenure was an “obstacle” in its campaign of “recruiting and training youths as its operatives, and procurement of firearms for fellow militants fighting in India and Afghanistan.” The court granted Akand’s appeal seeking fresh remand for HuJI-B ‘founder’ Sheikh Abdus Salam. Read less...

On January 6, an insurgent, identified as Nurunnabi, was shot at by a bullet in a shootout that took place between two terror groups at Block B-39 of East-8 camp around 4:30pm in Balukhali camp of Ukhiya Sub- District in Cox's Bazar District, reports The Business Standard. The members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) and law enforcement agencies recovered a grenade from the house of injured insurgent. Read less...

The Police arrested a leader, identified as Hasan Mahbub, political secretary of Dhaka district north unit of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and Abul Bashar, an activist of JeI, at separate places in Savar, on the outskirts of Bangladesh capital Dhaka on January 6, reports newagebd.net. Nayan Karkun, Inspector of Savar model Police Station stated that Hasan Mahmud was arrested from his residence in Dagarmora area of Savar municipality while Abul Bashar from his house in Parbatinagar area of the same municipality. Read less...

On January 7, Mohammad Rashid the leader of Block A at camp No. 15, was killed at 7pm by masked assailants while talking to others at a shop in Teknaf Sub-District of Cox’s Bazar District, reports bdnews24.com. Read less...

On January 8, Mohammad Salim, Deputy leader of Bock B at 8-West camp was killed by Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) militants in Balukhali camp in Ukhiya Sub-District of Cox's Bazar District, reports Dhaka Tribune. Read less...

On January 9, a group of five operatives of Jamaat-e Islami (JeI) and Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), identified as Mohammad Noor Un Nabi, Afsar Uddin Roman, Abu Saeed Saju, Swadhin Mia, and Abdus Salam, were arrested on the accusation of spreading rumors about Islami Bank through social media campaigns by Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police in Dhaka, reports Dhaka Tribune. Harun-or-Rashid the Deputy Director of Bangladesh Bank said that “When the bank was later freed from the occupation of the anti-liberation forces, the JeI-ICS gang started spreading rumors about the management of the bank. The main objective of this gang was to destabilize the country's financial sector and bring the government into disrepair.” He further added that Urging people not to be influenced by these propagandas, and currently Bangladesh has sufficient foreign exchange reserves. The bankruptcy of banks and financial institutions is a rumor. “Do not panic and withdraw your deposits from banks.” Read less...

On January 9, three operatives of new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, identified as Kabir Ahmad, Md Alam Prakash Alimya Dakat and Nurul Abshar, were arrested by Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, reports Dhaka Tribune. Kabir Ahmed was arrested from Naikhongchhari Sub-District of Bandarban District in Chittagong division of Bangladesh and the rest were arrested from Dhaka District in Bangladesh based on information given by an identified source Kabir Ahmad. Three locally made arms, six guns, 11 bullets, lead, acid, gun powder, octane and other chemicals were recovered from their possession. Read less...

On January 10, Shariful Islam, Public Relations Officer of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) headquarter said that Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) seized smuggled goods, arms and drugs including 12,778,100 Yaba pills, 77.69 kilograms of crystal meth, 46 pistols, nine rifles, five revolvers, 79 different types of guns, 25 magazines, 24 mortar shells, 5,345 rounds of bullets, one rocket bomb, 51 empty shells and 999.6 kilograms of explosive-like materials, worth over BDT 15.65 billion in various drives across the country in 2022, reports Dhaka Tribune. According to BGB, smuggled goods and drugs worth BDT 10.73 billion were seized in year 2021. Read less...

On January 11, Police arrested the nephew of executed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) leader Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, identified as Waliullah Oli from Golabari Bandar area of Gabtoli Sub-District in Bogra District for his alleged link to militancy, reports Dhaka Tribune. Oli confessed to his involvement with JMB's militant activities during primary interrogation, Police said. And during the raid, 23 books written on extremism were also seized. Read less...

On January 11, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested five operatives of Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (JAFHS) during in Bandarban District in Chattogram Division, reports The Business Standard. The arrestees were identified as Nizamuddin Hiron alias Yusuf, Saleh Ahmed alias Saiha, Bayezid Islam alias Muas alias Bairu, Imran bin Rahman Shithil alias Billal and Sadiqur Rahman Sumon alias Farkun. Khandaker Al Moin. On January 12, Director of RAB said that 12 operatives of JAFHS and 14 operatives of Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) have been arrested so far in the ongoing anti-militancy drive that started in Chattogram Division on October 10, 2022. Read less...

Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (JAFHS) cadres killed a fellow operative due to an internal dispute, Bd News 24 reported on January 15. Hitherto, Police have not revealed the identity of the killed militant. Earlier, on January 12, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested five suspected members of JAFHS from the forests of Roangchhari and Thanchi Sub-District in Bandarban. They were identified as Nizamuddin Hiron alias Yusuf, Sadikur Rahman Sumon alias Farkun, Saleh Ahmed alias Saiha, Bayezid Islam alias Bairu, and an unnamed 17-year-old boy. A fight ensued between the five arrestees and one of them was killed. Read less...

Police arrested three operatives of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) along with cocktails and a number of extremist books from Haji Manjil housing complex of Barisal District in Barisal Division, reports Dhaka Tribune on January 15. The arrestees were identified as Ibrahim Khalil Bahari, who is from Baufal Sub-District of Patuakhali District, and the rest two Raihan Howladar and Mehdi Hasan, from Mathbaria Sub-District of Pirojpur District. Barisal Police Station Officer-in-Charge, Azimul Karim stated, “The operation is still going on to arrest their cohorts.” Read less...

On January 16, Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (JSFHS) cadre Aminur Rahman Al-Amin’s father said that his fellow cadres removed the body of Aminur Rahman Al-Amin from a grave in Ruma Sub-District of Bandarban District in Chittagong Division to sweep the evidence of his murder, reports bdnews24. Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said Aminur Rahman Al-Amin from Cumilla District, was buried after he died from hunger and disease in the remote forest on November 25. Read less...

Over 3,500 desperate Rohingyas attempted deadly sea crossings in 39 boats in the Andaman Sea and the Bay of Bengal in 2022, says United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), reports New Age Bangladesh. Report represents a 360 per cent increase on the year before when some 700 people made similar journeys, said UNHCR spokesperson Shabia Mantoo on January 17. At least 348 individuals died or went missing at sea in 2022, making it one of the deadliest years since 2014. Some 3,040 individuals who undertook the sea journey disembarked in 2022, primarily in Myanmar, Malaysia, Indonesia and Bangladesh. Nearly 45 per cent of those who disembarked were women and children, according to UNHCR. She further said that “We call on countries to redouble efforts to prevent human smuggling and trafficking.” Read less...

On January 18, a Rohingya man, identified as Hamid Ullah, was killed and the other man, identified as Mohib Ullah, was shot at and injured firing incident at Konarpara Rohingya camp near the Tambru border in Naikhongchhari Sub-District of Bandarban District in Chittagong Division, reports The Daily Star. Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), two armed groups, are behind the firing, said Dil Mohammad, a community leader of Konarpara Rohingya Camp. "Both of them were in special-coloured attire. They could be members of a terrorist insurgent group in Myanmar," he added. He also said, "The shooting incidents might have happened over establishing supremacy." Naikhongchhari Sub-District Nirbahi Officer Romen Sharma said that Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) or others did not have any jurisdiction to intervene as per the international rules as the firing incidents were taking place on ‘zero line’. Read less...

On January 19, Additional District and Sessions Judge Court in Kushtia District of Khulna Division sentenced six Awami League activists to life term imprisonment for killing a leader of Islami Chattra Shibir (ICS) about 11 years ago, reports newagebd.net. Judge Mohammad Tajul Islam of the court also fined the convicts BDT 20,000 each. The court acquitted 29 people from the case as allegations brought against them could not be proved. According to the case statement, all the accused in a planned way stabbed to death ICS leader Abdullah Al Manju to death over previous enmity in Chairman Para of the Sub-District on April 13, 2012. Read less...

On January 19, gun battle between Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) resumed at a refugee camp on the no-man's-land (zero line) along Tambru border in Bandarban District, reports The Daily Star. This gun battle has caused the entry of at least 500 Rohingyas in Bangladesh and helped them take refuge at a school in Tambru area of Naikhongchhari Sub-District, said Muhammad Alam, a member of Ghumdhum Union Parishad. Earlier, SATP reported that a Rohingya man, identified as Hamid Ullah, was killed and the other man, identified as Mohib Ullah, was shot at and injured firing incident at Konarpara Rohingya camp near the Tambru border in Naikhongchhari Sub-District of Bandarban District in Chittagong Division, on January 18. Read less...

On January 20, a Police informant, identified as Mohammad Kayes, was stabbed to death by unidentified assailants in Karnaphuli Sub-District of Chattogram District, reports The Daily Star. His body was spotted on January 21. "We found stab injuries on his shoulder, abdomen, chest, and back. His phone was found switched off in his pocket. Family members said he had been working as a police informant. We are investigating the matter," said Arifur Hossain, the Assistant Commissioner of Chattogram Metropolitan Police (Karnaphuli Zone). Read less...

On January 21, wanted posters in Burmese language depicting the ‘chief’ of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), identified as Ataullah Abu Ammar alias Jununi, and 27 other suspected terrorists were displayed at various Rohingya camps in Kutupalong and Balukhali in Cox's Bazar District in the Chittagong Division of Bangladesh, reports bdnews. The poster also shows each of their family counting numbers. The Armed Police Battalion (APBn) states they are unaware of who put up the posters. According to Balukhali camp-8 leader Mohammad Khalil the poster says, "They are terrorists. We ask you to help catch these people. If anyone sees them in any camp, please let the authorities know.” Read less...

On January 22, cultural affairs secretary, Mazedur Rahman along with his fellow members of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) beat a student, identified as Mohammad Shahriad Sagor for his link to Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of Jamaat-e Islami (JeI), at Bijoy Ekattor Hall in Dhaka University, reports newagebd.net. Read less...

On January 22, Police arrested 31 Jamaat-e Islami (JeI)-Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) men on charge of "subversive activities" in Dinajpur District of Rangpur Division, reports The Daily Star. Police also seized a bus in connection with the incident. Read less...

On January 23, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two leaders of Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (JAFHS), identified as identified as Mashikur Rahman alias Ranbir and Abul Bashar alias Alam, during the raid in Kutupalong Rohingya Camp No. 7 of Ukhiya Sub-district in Cox’s Bazar District, reports Bd news 24. RAB members recovered arms and ammunition from them. During preliminary interrogation, Abul Bashar admitted that he left the Chittagong Hill Tracts following the launch of the anti-militancy operations on October 3, 2022. He met Ranbir Mashikur Rahman in Sylhet District (Sylhet Division) and several days later, the duo took refuge in a Rohingya camp in Kutupalong. Read less...

United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced USD 75 million in humanitarian assistance to help the Rohingya refugees in Cox's Bazar District and help them meeting the ongoing needs that have been exacerbated by the increasing costs of food and fuel, The Daily Star reported on January 26. With this, the US funding for the Rohingyas reached USD 1,975 million since August 2017. With the new funding, USAID will work with the World Food Programme (WFP) to provide critically needed food and nutrition assistance, infrastructure maintenance, disaster risk reduction, and logistics support. The new funding will provide critical and life-saving assistance to nearly 600,000 people. USAID in a statement said, “These programs will target populations residing in 33 refugee camps and 130 sites in the local Bangladeshi community. In addition, through disaster risk reduction programming, WFP will work with the community to maintain and improve public infrastructure within the camps.” Read less...

One person identified as Samrat was killed during a gunfight between Parbatya Chattagram Jana Samhati Samiti (PCJSS) and Mog Liberation Party (MLP) in Gonggrichhara area in Raikhali Union of Rangamati District on January 26, reports Bdnews24.com. Read less...

The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested six Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) terrorists from different parts of Dhaka city in Bangladesh on January 27, reports newsonair.com. The arrested are identified as Fakhrul Islam, Fakhrul's son Saiful Islam, Suruzzaman, Abdullah Al Mamun, Din Islam, and Abdullah Al Mamun, reports The Daily Star. A Dhaka court on January 28, placed each of the six arrestees on a three-day remand. CTTC Chief Mohammad Asaduzzaman said Fakhrul, an active member of HuJI-B, was a security guard at a Gazipur madrasa in 1988. Later that year, he went to Karachi, Pakistan and met Mufti Zakir Hossain, ‘military commander’ of the Al-Qaeda. Under Zakir's guidance, he received training on different types of firearms at Shamshad hill of Kandahar, Afghanistan. At the end of the training, Fakhrul returned to Pakistan in 1995 and then went to Tehran, Iran where he stayed for three years. In 1998, he returned to Pakistan, got an Indian visa from there, and returned to Bangladesh through India. After returning Fakhrul visited the Rohingya camp in the Cox’s Bazar area several times to recruit operatives for HuJI-B. He also provided financial help to lure people into HuJI-B. Read less...

Two persons, identified as Shibbir Ahmed and Abdur Razzak, who went missing from Sylhet District in March 2021, went to the hills in Bandarban District and joined the militant organisation, Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya (JAFHS), The Daily Star reports on January 28. The two persons stayed in the camps of Kuki-Chin National Front on the hills in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) where they received rigorous physical training and learnt how to use firearms. The Kuki-Chin National Front provided the training, food and shelter in exchange for Bangladeshi BDT 3,00,000 a month from JAFHS. Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) officers learnt about this following the recent arrests of militant leaders and the seizure of a mobile phone containing a video clip that shows JAFHS cadres in brown and grey camouflage outfit are receiving training on the use of firearms. The two missing persons were being seen in that video, according to RAB sources. Read less...

On January 28, a Kuki National Front (KNF) cadre was shot dead in a gunfight with Army in Ruma Sub-District of Bandarban District, reports The Daily Star. Police found his body on January 29. The gunfight took place when KNF cadres attacked Army Personnel in Artha Para and Bachlang Para area of the Sub-District on January 28. Read less...

On January 29, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested five cadres of Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), including a commander of the organization, from various Rohingya camps in Ukhiya Sub-District of Cox's Bazar District, reports Dhaka Tribune. These arrestees are ARSA commander Dr Rafiq, Mohammad Rafiq, Nurul Amin, Mohammad Rafiq and Khairul Amin, residents of Ukhia Rohingya camps. There are several cases against the arrestees on different charges including murder, drugs and police assault. Read less...

Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya posed a bigger security threat than any militant outfit ever did, according to official sources, The Daily Star reports on January 31. Commenting on Jama'atul Ansar's combat training, operational tactics and activities, officers, wishing anonymity, said operatives of the newly emerged militant outfit were highly motivated. Several officers who seized documents during raids on Bandarban hills said the militants followed the code of conduct of Al Qaeda and Islamic State (IS). Their plan was to establish a caliphate in Bangladesh through armed struggle and, if necessary, carry out attacks on key installations and important personalities. Militants' aim was to fight non-muslim people in India, Pakistan and Myanmar, the officials added. To reach their goals, the group recruited young men, took them to the hills, and made them go through rigorous combat training provided by the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), an armed group of the Hill Tracts, they added. Jama'atul Ansar has 55 members trained in the use of firearms that include assault rifles. The militant leaders wanted to have 313 trained members, and money was not much of a problem for them because funds came from foreign and local sources. The organisation also owned businesses. The militant outfit owned farm animals in Districts of Munshiganj, Cumilla and the hill tracts area, officials said, adding that it also owned a perfume and garment shop in Dhaka’s Gulistan and a mobile accessories shop in Maghbazar. Read less...

On January 30, a court in Cox's Bazar sentenced eight Rohingya men to life imprisonment in a case over smuggling some 200,000 drug pills into the country in 2019, reports Dhaka Tribune. The convicts are Mohammad Doula, Robi Alam, Mohammad Alam, Mohammad Shafiqul, Mohammad Noor, Noor-A-Alam, Ali Ahmed, and Nurul Amin. They were also fined BDT 1 lakh each. According to the case documents, on 19 September 2019, a team of Teknaf Coast Guard seized a fishing boat from Chera Dwip of Saint Martins in Teknaf Sub-District of Cox's Bazar District. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two fugitives on death row, identified as Naqib Hossain Adil Sarkar and Mokhlesur Rahman Mukul, who were sentenced by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) for committing crimes against humanity in 1971 War, in separate drives from Dhaka city’s Dakkhinkhan and Ashulia area on January 30, reports prothomalo.com. Read less...