Seven suspects remanded to custody as two confess to extremist activities disguised as martial arts training
Two suspects have provided confessional statements to a Dhaka court regarding their involvement in extremist activities conducted under the guise of martial arts training in the capital’s Jatrabari area. A total of seven individuals, arrested in connection with a case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act, were ordered to jail by the court following the conclusion of their remand periods.
The primary suspect, Shah Amanat Sabir, and an accomplice, Md. Tahsin Islam, recorded their confessions under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. Tahsin Islam delivered his statement before Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jamshed Alam on Saturday, while Shah Amanat Sabir provided his testimony before Metropolitan Magistrate Monirul Islam on Thursday. Following these proceedings, the court remanded both men to judicial custody.
Five other defendants—Md. Hossain Tanim, Md. Junaed, Ataullah Shah, Md. Abidur Rahman, and Md. Bayezid—were also sent to prison after appearing in court once their respective police remands expired. According to court officials and police, these seven individuals were taken into custody for allegedly operating extremist training programs under the banner of "Fatah Combat System."
The investigation into the group began following a raid on July 5 in the "Mini Cox's Bazar" area of Jatrabari, where six of the suspects were initially apprehended. Subsequent investigative leads prompted authorities to arrest the seventh suspect, Tahsin Islam, in Jashore. The case was formally registered at Jatrabari Police Station, naming 16 individuals in total for violations of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009.
Police records indicate that the detainees were initially granted a three-day remand on July 12, with a further three-day extension granted for Shah Amanat Sabir and Md. Hossain Tanim to facilitate deeper interrogation. Law enforcement officials confirmed that the investigation into the cell has since been transferred to the police’s Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) as investigators continue to probe the group's extremist network.
