Police release 11 of 23 detained over suspected militant links

Police have released 11 of the 23 people detained from a mosque at Tejgaon College in Dhaka on suspicion of links to a militant organisation. The 11 were handed over to their families after signing bonds, while the remaining 12 have been taken into the custody of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit for questioning.

The officer-in-charge of Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station confirmed the matter on Saturday afternoon. He said that following verification of the detainees, 11 were released into the custody of their families after signing bonds, while the other 12 were handed over to the CTTC. No case has been filed over the incident so far, he added.

The 23 people were detained on Friday after Friday prayers while they were allegedly holding a private meeting at the Tejgaon College mosque. Police conducted the operation based on suspicion that they were associated with a banned militant organisation.

A senior officer of the Tejgaon division of police said they had received intelligence information that members of a banned militant organisation might gather at the mosque after arriving from different parts of the capital. Acting on the information, police conducted a raid and detained 23 people.

However, the officer said it could not immediately be confirmed whether the detainees were members of the same organisation. Police are verifying their identities, activities and possible organisational links.

Police said the detentions were made primarily on the basis of intelligence information. After verification and questioning, a decision will be made on whether further legal action should be taken against any of them based on the findings of the investigation.