The Rapid Action Battalion has arrested the imam of a mosque in Cumilla on charges of inspiring youths to join militancy and financing terrorism.
The name of Habibullah, imam of Koba mosque, came up in investigation into the “missing” youths.
He was arrested along with four others, including three young men who were recently reported missing by their families, in Dhaka’s Jatrabari and Keraniganj on Sunday.
ANM Imran Khan, an assistant director at the RAB, said Habibullah was one of the financiers of Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharkkiyo, a new militant group which was formed by former members of banned Islamist outfits Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh and Ansar Al Islam.
Habibullah is a resident of Loipura in Cumilla city. He became a teacher of Quasemul Uloom madrasa in the city after completing his study at the institution. Later he joined the mosque as its imam. He was also teaching at a madrasa on Biswa Road in the Poduar Bazar area.
Imran said Ahmed Rifat and Hasibul Islam, two of the seven young men of Cumilla who recently left home allegedly to join militancy, were in touch with Habibullah for the past one year.
They left home in August after being inspired to join militancy by Habibullah and met ‘Hasibul’ of Gopalgganj and ‘Sabit’ of Dhaka’s Uttara – the two other youths arrested with Habibullah, said the RAB official.
The RAB arrested the four other “missing” youths of Cumilla and three other people last week following information given by Shartaz Islam Niloy, another youth from Dhaka’s Kalyanpur who returned home.