Locals detain 17 including ‘fleeing physician Sohel’ suspecting them as militants

Local people have held 17 suspecting them as members of ‘Imam Mahmuder Kafela’, a new militant outfit, in Kulaura upazila of Moulvibazar. The local people claimed that physician Sohel Tanzim, who fled from a militant hideout during the raid of a law enforcement agency, is also among the held.

The local people intercepted them when they were fleeing by several CNG-run auto-rickshaws on Monday morning. They were kept at the office of local union parishad till the filing of this report.

Earlier on Saturday, a team of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit conducted a raid at a militant hideout in the Purba Tatriuli area in Karmadha of the upazila and detained 10 people including the wife of Sohel Tanzim. Three children were with them.

Local people said some unknown people were going towards Moulvibazar district sadar by auto-rickshaws at around 11:00 am. Suspecting them, the locals stopped their vehicles and held the 17. Later, they took them to the UP office.

Locals further said they collected the photograph of physician Sohel Tanzim from police as he escaped during the CTTC raid at the militant hideout. One of the 17 people had facial similarities with Sohel. The locals suspect him as Sohel.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Karmadha union parishad chairman Muhibul Islam told at around 1:30 pm that the people have held 17 suspecting them as militants. They had informed the matter to Kulaura police station. They would verify the matter.

However, the identities of the held people could not be ascertained immediately.

Kulaura police station officer-in-charge Md Abdus Saleque said local people held 17 suspecting them as militants. He would disclose details later.