By Sumi Khan
Dhaka, May 21 (IANS): A militant of the banned Islamist Hizb ut-Tahrir outfit in Bangladesh has been arrested over conspiring to establish a caliphate in the country and to oust the incumbent pro-liberation democratic government.
HM Mehdi Hasan Rana, the IT assistant for the banned outfit, was arrested on Wednesday evening by the anti-terrorism unit (ATU) of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) from Palongkhali, near the Rohingya camp of Ukhia in Cox's Bazar.
Speaking to IANS, Aslam Khan, Superintendent of the ATU's media wing, said that Rana used to preach online to motivate people to spread militancy, as a part of religion.
Besides his militant activities, he had been officially working as an assistant technical officer at BRAC, the largest NGO of Bangladesh, since the last three years.
Evidence of his involvement with Hizb ut-Tahrir in online conferences and campaigns has also been found, the police told IANS.
He has been campaigning online on behalf of the Hizb ut-Tahrir for the so-called caliphate, as well as for the release of other militants from jail.
The ATU also confiscated a mobile phone, two SIM cards and seven Hizb ut-Tahrir leaflets from the militant.
A case has been filed against the accused militant under the Anti-Terrorism Act 2009 (Amendment 2013) at the Ukhia Police Station.