ARSA chief among 10 arrested in Narayanganj, Mymensingh

Some 10 members of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), including its chief Ataullah, have been arrested in separate drives in Narayanganj and Mymensingh.

They were allegedly holding a secret meeting to plan subversive activities during their arrest. Later, a court granted a five-day remand for six of them in two separate cases.

The arrestees are Ataullah alias Abu Ambar Jununi (48), Mostaq Ahmed (66), Salimullah (27), Moniruzzaman (24), Asmat Ullah (40), Hasan (43), Asmaul Hosna (23), a 15-year-old boy, Shahina (22), and a 17-year-old girl.

According to sources from law enforcement agencies and the Rohingya camps in Cox’s Bazar, Ataullah is the chief of ARSA, and accused in multiple cases, including the murder of Rohingya leader Muhibullah and DGFI officer Squadron Leader Rizwan Rushdi.

The arrestees were produced before the court of judicial magistrate Md Moinuddin in Narayanganj in the afternoon on Tuesday, with a 10-day remand plea. After hearing the case, the judge placed six of them on remand for five days. No remand was sought for the remaining four as they are women and minors.

Earlier, members of RAB-11 arrested six ARSA members from Bhumi Palli residential area in Siddhirganj of Narayanganj, and the four others from Mymensingh. An amount of Tk 2.1 million in cash, a knife, a sharp steel chain, and four wristwatches were seized from their possession.

Later, the elite force filed two cases on Tuesday, under the acts of anti-terrorism and illegal border crossing.

Public prosecutor Khorshed Alam Molla told the media that the accused were conspiring to harm the state and tarnish its image through their network spread across the country. They entered Bangladesh illegally without any valid passport and visa.

The investigation officer sought them in remand to interrogate on how they entered the country and how they were conspiring against the state, added the prosecutor.