Anisur is the undoubted chief of Jamatul Ansar, says RAB

The new militant outfit Jamatul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya had ties with the outlawed group Ansar Al Islam's leader Ziaul Haque, who was condemned to death for killing authors and publishers, according to the Rapid Action Battalion.

Major Zia, an expelled army man, visited Md Anisur Rahman aka Mahmud, chief of the Jamatul Ansar, multiple times in Bandarban, said RAB spokesman Commander Khandaker Al Moin in a press briefing on Monday.

The RAB arrested Anisur and two other militants in Munshiganj's Lauhaganj Upazila on Sunday.

On Jun 23, the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit (CTTC) of police arrested Shamin Mahfuz, another leader of the Jamatul Ansar, and his wife. The specialised police unit believes Shamin Mahfuz is the founder of the group.

But the RAB said that Shamin was just an adviser, while Anisur Rahman was the 'Amir' or chief of the outfit.

HOW ANISUR BECAME MILITANT LEADER

During preliminary interrogation, the RAB learnt that Anisur Rahman joined Harkatul Jihad while studying in a madrasa. Later, he became affiliated with a shrine and stayed there for a long time.

Anisur met with the leaders of Ansar Al Islam in 2014 and set his sights on creating a well-drilled militant group that was capable of setting a benchmark in the subcontinent.

Since 2016, he has visited various mosques and madrasas in Bandarban in a bid to radicalise both Muslims and non-Muslims, the RAB said in its briefing.

The militant leader lived in Bandarban and Naikhangchhari until 2019 and shared his ideology with others. That was when he met Mainul Islam Roxy and ‘Felani’, who taught him the organisational skills needed to form an outfit, said Commander Moin.

He also met Shamin Mahfuz and Nathan Bawm, leader of Kuki-Chin National Front or KNF, a separatist group in the Chattogram Hill Tracts.

Anisur, 32, is a native of Cumilla Sadar South Upazila’s Harkal village. He started working in a CNG refuelling station after completing his studies in a local madrasa.

He went into hiding after selling some of the properties he inherited in 2021. The RAB believes Anisur used some of those funds to run the organisation. He would also produce video speeches to raise money for the newly formed militant group and recruit members.

After meeting the KNF leaders, Anisur went to the forests deep in the hills to receive training under the supervision of a man called 'Aslam' at the beginning of 2020, said Moin.

After completing his training, Anisur went to Cumilla and sold off his assets for more than Tk 5 million. Then, he bought 3 bighas of land in Naikhangchhari and began to live there with his family. He gave the rest of the money to the new militant outfit after paying for the land.

The RAB said that Anisur opened a farm in Naikhongchhari. Many leaders of his organisation, including spiritual leader Mahmudul Hasan Gunvi, went there. Zia, the top leader of Ansar Al Islam, visited him there as well.

In 2020, Ansar Al Islam advisers and members visited the farm to do a feasibility study for training operations. They signed a contract with the militant outfit to train their members together, said the RAB officer.

The group was launched in 2017, and got its name in 2019, said Moin. Mainul Islam Roxy was its first chief, but after his arrest in 2021, members elected Anisur as their leader.

“We arrested 82 people in total, while other law enforcers apprehended 8-10 more suspects. We spoke to all the arrestees and learnt about the organogram. They confirmed that Anisur Rahman alias Mahmud is the chief of the outfit,” said Moin.