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The separatist hill group Kuki-Chin National Front, also known as the Bawm Party, is in contact with ‘neighbouring terrorist groups’, believes Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud.
The government is ‘determined’ to root them out, he added.
The foreign minister made the comments at a conference with journalists at the UNT centre in Chattogram city on Saturday, reports bdnews24.com.
The KNF has been blamed for recent robberies at three banks in Bandarban during which money and weapons were stolen, a man was abducted, and guns were fired.
The armed group is alleged to be receiving support from abroad in its criminal efforts. Mahmud drew the attention of the media to these allegations.
Operations have already begun to pin down the group and the abducted bank manager has been freed, he said.
Commenting on the connections between the KNF and ‘neighbouring terrorist organisations’, he said, “We have learnt that weapons from those who have already committed terrorist activities in neighbouring countries are coming in to them [the KNF]. So, a massive operation has been launched against them and we are determined to root them out.”
Around 9pm on Tuesday, over a hundred armed men attacked the Sonali Bank branch in Ruma. They beat up at least 20 people, including bank officials and security guards, before looting money and police weapons.
They also kidnapped bank manager Nezam Uddin from a nearby mosque.
Around 12:30pm on Wednesday, armed men in three vehicles attacked the Thanchi Upazila branches of the Krishi Bank and Sonali Bank and stole money.
Nezam was later rescued, but law enforcers did not share whether a ransom had been paid for his release.