Dhaka court grants three-day remand for suspect linked to extremist groups
A Dhaka court has granted a three-day remand for 26-year-old Mamun Hossain, who was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on suspicion of involvement with extremist organizations. Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Md. Jewel Rana issued the order on Monday after police apprehended Hossain at the airport’s immigration detention area late Sunday night.
According to the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police, the arrest followed intelligence reports linking Hossain to radical activities. Authorities seized his passport, mobile phones, and other personal items during the operation. Investigating officer Sub-Inspector Md. Motiur Rahman Mollah had requested a seven-day remand to analyze the suspect's digital devices and trace his communications across platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal to determine if he was planning acts of sabotage or receiving foreign funding.
During the hearing, state prosecutor Harun-or-Rashid detailed Hossain’s alleged history of extremist ties. Prosecutors stated that Hossain traveled from Bangladesh to France via Portugal in 2020 but was deported that same year due to suspected extremist activities. Upon his return to Bangladesh, he was arrested. Furthermore, prosecutors noted that in 2024, Hossain provided a judicial confession regarding his involvement in anti-state terrorism. The state also alleged that he maintained connections with members of "Fatah Combat," a group recently apprehended in Dhaka’s Jatrabari area for conducting extremist training under the guise of martial arts.
Hossain, a resident of Munshiganj’s Tongibari upazila, denied the allegations in court, claiming he was merely traveling to Qatar on a labor visa. He maintained that he was innocent and asserted that he was currently on bail for two ongoing cases under the Anti-Terrorism Act. He further claimed that his previous confession was coerced under duress. His defense team argued that the charges were unfounded and requested that the court dismiss the remand petition.
After reviewing the arguments, Judge Jewel Rana denied the bail request and authorized the three-day police custody. The court also took note of the pending anti-terrorism cases against Hossain in the Tejgaon Industrial Area and Gandaria police stations, directing investigators to ensure that all evidence regarding his international connections and potential extremist networks is thoroughly vetted.
