18 transactions, Tk 77 lakh

Wahmi Technologies, the IT-firm suspected of terror funding, had received over Tk 77 lakh from Spain in the last one year, Rab claimed yesterday.

There were 18 transactions, in which the money was sent by software firm Isynctel in Spain. Isynctel is owned by Bangladeshi-born Ataul Haque Sabuj, reads a case statement filed by Rab with Rupnagar Police Station on Saturday night.

Sub-inspector Alauddin of Rab 4 filed the case following the arrest of 11 suspects including eight employees of Wahmi on Friday.

Sabuj was arrested in Spain on Friday. Bangladeshi law enforcers are planning to visit Spain to interrogate him there.

Sabuj is the brother of suspected Islamic State militant Saiful Haque Sujan, who is believed to have been killed in an air strike in Syria on December 10, 2015.

Wahmi was formed months after police unearthed iBacs Ltd, owned by Sujan, in December 2015 and found evidence of terror funding in Bangladesh by the company.

“Wahmi [staffers] could not give proper answer about the expenditure of the money. Moreover, they [the arrestees] admitted that they spent the money for strengthening militant activities, operative recruitment and training,” the case statement read, adding that the arrestees are operatives of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh.

"Some 47 percent of the money was spent on office management and salary for its staffers while the rest was used to fund militant activities,” Mufti Mahmud Khan, Rab's legal and Media wing director told reporters in Saturday's briefing on the arrests.

Eight of them were arrested at the office Wahmi in the capital's Rupnagar Eastern Housing area. Two others were arrested in Khulna and another in Rajshahi.

Inspector Akhtaruzzaman Ilias of Rupnagar Police Station, who is investigating the case, produced the 11 arrestees before a Dhaka Court yesterday and sought 10-days remand for each.

Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Nabi sent the accused to jail and fixed today for hearing the remand prayer.

Mufti Mahmud told The Daily Star that they would write to the home ministry seeking permission to investigate the case.

The Wahmi office on the fourth floor a five storey-building was found locked yesterday. There was no signboard of the office outside either.

Abdul Hye, owner of the house, told The Daily Star that two persons—Helal Uddin and Al Amin, who are among the 11 arrestees, rented the flat for a monthly rent of Tk 28,000.

Four men used to stay there at night and four others worked there from 11:00am to 8:00pm. Helal lived on the third-floor with his parents.

Except the nine persons, the owner did not see anyone ever visiting the office. Locals said Rab teams picked up eight persons from the office on Thursday night.

In late 2015 while raiding iBacs, police arrested five persons, including Sujan's father Abul Hasnat and his younger brother Hasanul Haque alias Galib Mahmud for their alleged involvement in militancy. Police recovered Tk 38.86 lakh from their possession at the time.

A counterterrorism official, who is investigating the iBacs case, said they may go to Spain to interrogate Sabuj, who is wanted in the case.