UK citizen held in city over suspected IS links

Detectives arrested a Bangladesh-born UK citizen for his alleged connection with Middle East-based militant group Islamic State (IS) in the city on Sunday night. Being tipped off, a team of Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) raided Kamalapur Railway Station and arrested Samiul Rahman Ibn Hamdan around 11pm. DMP Deputy Commissioner (media) Masudur Rahman said ‘We have found out that Samiul Rahman was trying to set up contact with IS and al-Nusra Front.’ Earlier, the Detective Branch had said a British citizen has been working to strengthen al-Qaeda’s network in Bangladesh after arresting two Ansarullah Bangla Team activists on Thursday. On Sept 26, detectives nabbed a suspected IS member in Purana Paltan in the city for his alleged efforts to spread activities of the IS. On Sept 25, two youths were held in the city on charge of trying to go to Syria to receive training under the Syria-based al-Nusra Front, also known as al-Nusra Brigade, according to UNB.