Alleged terrorist leader arrested
Testimony from two Rohingya refugees led to the arrest of Mohammad Yunus
Mohammed Yunus is the top leader of a Bangladesh chapter of a Pakistan-based Islamist militant group
- By ucanews.com reporter, Dhaka
- Bangladesh
- August 17, 2012
An alleged top leader of the Bangladesh chapter of the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed was arrested Thursday afternoon in Dhaka, police officials said.
Police arrested Mohammad Yunus, 48, during a raid in the Fakirerpool area of the city, after receiving a tip from two Rohingya refugees, said Hasan Arafat, a detective branch officer from Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Jaish-e-Mohammed's aim is to remove Kashmir from Indian control. It is considered to be one of the principal terrorist organizations operating in Indian-administered Kashmir and is allegedly responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in India.
“We detained two Rohingya refugees with fake passports at the airport on Wednesday, and according to their information we arrested Yunus,” Arafat said. Officials said Yunus was in Dhaka for a meeting but declined to give details of the meeting.
“Yunus has been recruiting Rohingya refugees and locals in the area to expand his network,” Arafat said.
Yunus hails from Ramu sub-district in southeastern Cox’s Bazar district and was a religious teacher at a madrasa in the area. He reportedly told police he was operating with support from Saber Ahmed, a former principal at the madrasa who is now living in Pakistan.
Yunus informed police that Ahmed was a member of Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh.
Police are investigating if Yunus had networks outside Cox’s Bazar or if he is in any way connected to recent ethnic violence between majority Buddhist Rakhine and minority Rohingya Muslims in western Myanmar, just across the border.
Classified as a terrorist organization in India, the United States and the United Kingdom, Jaish-e-Mohammed was banned in Pakistan in 2002 by the government of former military ruler Parvez Musharraf.
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Police arrested Mohammad Yunus, 48, during a raid in the Fakirerpool area of the city, after receiving a tip from two Rohingya refugees, said Hasan Arafat, a detective branch officer from Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
Jaish-e-Mohammed's aim is to remove Kashmir from Indian control. It is considered to be one of the principal terrorist organizations operating in Indian-administered Kashmir and is allegedly responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in India.
“We detained two Rohingya refugees with fake passports at the airport on Wednesday, and according to their information we arrested Yunus,” Arafat said. Officials said Yunus was in Dhaka for a meeting but declined to give details of the meeting.
“Yunus has been recruiting Rohingya refugees and locals in the area to expand his network,” Arafat said.
Yunus hails from Ramu sub-district in southeastern Cox’s Bazar district and was a religious teacher at a madrasa in the area. He reportedly told police he was operating with support from Saber Ahmed, a former principal at the madrasa who is now living in Pakistan.
Yunus informed police that Ahmed was a member of Jamaat-e-Islami, the largest Islamist political party in Bangladesh.
Police are investigating if Yunus had networks outside Cox’s Bazar or if he is in any way connected to recent ethnic violence between majority Buddhist Rakhine and minority Rohingya Muslims in western Myanmar, just across the border.
Classified as a terrorist organization in India, the United States and the United Kingdom, Jaish-e-Mohammed was banned in Pakistan in 2002 by the government of former military ruler Parvez Musharraf.
Related reports
Mosques to undergo militancy checks
Bangladeshis Shaken By Hundreds Of Explosions Around The Country
