Bangla police bust little known militant outfit, leader held

A little known militant outfit named 'Ansarullah Bangla Team' that was planning to kill a dozen of high profile "enemies of Islam", including two Bangladeshi ministers, has been busted here, police said today.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police's spokesman Monirul Islam said police recovered several books and more than 50 CDs during a raid in the outfit's main hideout in Dhaka's Basila area yesterday.
Police also recovered a list in which the Team identified a dozen of high profile "enemies of Islam".
"The list contains names of several high profile men including two ministers... We are trying to find out whether they (militants) had plans to kill those who were named in the list," Islam said.

Islam, however, declined to disclose the names.
The raid came as spiritual leader of the outfit 43-year old Mufti Jasim Uddin Rahmani and 30 others were arrested from a clandestine meeting at southwestern Barguna on Monday.

Police said the outfit was operating from an Islamic madrasah or study centre called 'Markajul Ulum Al-Islamia' at Basila area.
They said the group earlier instigated the killing of blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider on February 15, launching a hatred campaign through its websites, blogs and publications while the authorities blocked the blogs and the websites since Rahmani's arrest.
Moreover, the police said the group also used the internet teaching methods of preparing bombs with easily available local materials.

Investigators said Rahmani and his followers used to share their views on a website named 'Ansarulla Bangla Team' having its hosting server in Pakistan while they also ran a web-based community radio.
Meanwhile, a local court today sent to jail pending trial of Rahmani and 30 others and fixed August 21 for the next hearing.
Investigators said Rahmani engaged him in building the group five years ago being inspired by al-Qaeda's slain spiritual leader US-born Yemani Anwar al-Awlaki.
The Daily Star newspaper quoting unnamed security sources said the group was linked with several other Bangladeshi militant outfits including banned Harkat-ul-Jihad-Al Islami and Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh.