Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani
Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani is chief of the Al Qaeda affiliated,[1] radical Islamist organization Ansarullah Bangla Team.[2] He is currently in custody in Bangladesh charged under the Anti-Terrorism Act.[3] He advocated the murder of atheists.[4]
Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani | |
---|---|
Born | Muhammad Jasimuddin Rahmani |
Occupation | Head of Ansarullah Bangla Team |
Militant activity
He was the Imam of Hatembagh Jame Masjid in Dhaka, Bangladesh.[5] He studied in madrasas in Bangladesh and outside the country. He was inspired by Al-Qaeda leader Anwar al-Awlaki. He used to preach his message on a website called "Ansarulla Bangla Team" whose servers are located in Pakistan. Ansarullah Bangla Team was responsible for the murder of a number of secular activist in Bangladesh.[6] He has a madrassa located in Mohammadpur, Dhaka. The Madrasa was visited by students from Dhaka University and North South University. Quazi Mohammad Rezwanul Ahsan Nafis was a regular at the Madrasa, he is currently in prison in the United States for trying to bomb the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.[7]
Arrest
He was arrested on 12 August 2013 from Barguna, Bangladesh along with 30 members of his organisation.[8][7] He is currently serving a five-year prison sentence.[9]
References
- "Ansarullah's Gazipur chief, another held". Dhaka Tribune. 10 September 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Foreign ties to Gulshan attack under scrutiny". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Court accepts charges against ABT chief, 9 others". The Daily Star. 9 November 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Two sentenced to death for Bangladesh blogger murder". The Guardian. Agence France-Presse. 31 December 2015. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- Anand, Geeta; Manik, Julfikar Ali (8 June 2016). "Bangladesh Says It Now Knows Who's Killing the Bloggers". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Preaching militancy, building network". The Daily Star. 14 August 2013. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- Khan, Tamanna; Das, Subir (14 August 2013). "Progressive force its prime target". The Daily Star. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "Bangladesh's Ansarullah Bangla Team – Analysis". Eurasia Review. 8 January 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- "3 militant leaders' trial awaits government nod". Prothom Alo. Retrieved 14 November 2016.