2 Singapore returnees remanded over suspected militant links

A Dhaka court today (9 July) placed two Bangladeshi nationals, recently returned from Singapore, on a three-day remand each over their suspected involvement with militant organisations.

The accused are Sahedul Islam and Rishad Tayani.

Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Jewel Rana passed the order following a remand petition filed by police, said Public Prosecutor Muhammad Shamsuddoha Sumon.

According to the case, the two were detained by Singapore police on suspicion of links to militant organisations and handed over to immigration authorities after arriving at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport yesterday (8 July).

The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit later informed Airport Police Station, which took them into custody.

Sub-Inspector Ashraful Alam of Airport Police Station produced the two before the court under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and sought a five-day remand.

In the remand application, police said the suspects admitted during preliminary questioning that they had been involved with various banned militant organisations while in Singapore.

Police said further interrogation was needed to determine the suspects' alleged links to banned militant organisations in Bangladesh and abroad, their funding sources, operational network, and use of electronic devices for prohibited activities.

During the hearing, one of the accused, Rishad Tayani, told the court he had been detained in Singapore over Facebook posts made in 2023 about a person named Farabi.

When asked by the judge who Farabi was, Rishad said he was a leader of Hefazat-e-Islam in Bangladesh who had previously been jailed and was later released.

He added that the Facebook posts had been made in 2023.

The judge later granted a three-day remand, remarking, "You are remittance warriors. Why did you need to get involved in these matters?"

No lawyer appeared for the accused.