Three men affiliated to Islamic political party Hizb ut-Tahrir have been arrested in the Bangladeshi port city of Chittagong.
The three activists of the banned Islamist organisation were found with anti-government leaflets at Hill View Residential Area in Chittagong last Friday afternoon. Law enforcers arrested the trio from the area at around 3:30pm, police say.
The men were Farhad Alam, 23, a masters-degree student in the statistics department of Chittagong University, Ataul Islam, 24, a fourth year student of the same department of the university, and MM Iftekhar Uddin, 30.
Shah Mohammad Abdur Rouf, of Chittagong Metropolitan Police, confirmed the matter to the Dhaka Tribune newspaper. He said law enforcers nabbed the trio from the area when they were distributing the leaflets which contained anti-government propaganda.
A case was lodged with Panchlaish police station in this connection, said the police official.
Hizb ut-Tahrir Bangladesh
HT was outlawed in Bangladesh on 22 October 2009, for “destabilising” the country. Home Minister Sahara Khatun told AFP that HT Bangladesh has been banned for “unleashing destructive activities” and work that goes against the “laws of the land”.
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The party started its activities in Bangladesh in 2000. On 19 January 2012, Bangladesh Army pointed to Hizb ut-Tahrir’s involvement in a foiled coup plotted in December 2011 to topple the government.
On 23 January 2012 the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Dr Golam Haider Rasul, a noted physician of United Hospital of Dhaka for his connection with the organisation.
