Bangladesh has got “credible evidence” that foreign organisations and individuals are funding militant outfits in the country, investigators have said.
The long-held fear has come true, especially after arrests of three lawyers on charges of financing a terrorist outfit.
The three Supreme Court lawyers, including the daughter of a Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader, have been arrested last week for their suspected link to newly founded Shahid Hamza Brigade. The members of the Brigade are mostly the former members of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the students’ wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami.
The prosecution has claimed that the three lawyers have deposited a total of 1.08 crore taka in a bank account of a key member of the outfit. Investigators said a Pakistan national from London had sent £1.5m to a bank account in Chittagong. The account was opened using forged signatures.
It was also found that the funds also come from abroad for establishing mosques and madrasas, or as aid to so-called NGOs working for the the welfare of persecuted Rohingya Muslims. A detailed investigation by special anti-terror agencies has revealed that militants are taking advantage of the poor Muslim families while recruiting new members.
A number of security experts told The Hindu that authorities should strictly monitor monetary transactions by foreign organisations and individuals that are helping militants.
