Militancy financier held in Habiganj: CID

Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today claimed to have arrested one of the financiers of militancy in Habiganj.

Mostaq Ahmed Kha, 27, once a Bangladeshi expatriate in Turkey, used to collect money from different organisations and individuals from Turkey and spent that for terror financing in Bangladesh, Molla Nazrul Islam, special superintendent of CID told reporters at his office in Dhaka.    

“He transacted several crores of taka through one of his accounts with a private bank, which were distributed to different illegally run non-government organisations and some individuals,” the CID official said.

Molla Nazrul said CID officials, who were investigating a case filed against him, arrested Mostaq from in front of Kalapara restaurant in Habiganj as they primarily found his involvement with terror financing.

He is accused in at least six cases under special power act, anti-terrorism act and explosives act, he said.

Mostaq was out of jail on bail, he added.  

According to CID, Mostaq went to Turkey illegally 10 years back and returned after spending nearly five years there. He established a network during his stay.

Asked by a reporter whether CID had found any proof of his terror financing, Molla Nazrul said they primarily suspected that he financed terrorist activities as the money he spent through the NGOs has no approval from the government.

Mostaq used to run an NGO named Al Kawsar in Habiganj and worked for anther NGO for Rohingya Muslims, he said. 

Replying to a query, the CID officials said most of the money Mostaq, once an activist of Jamaat, received from abroad in 2014.

CID will investigate whether he had funded terrorist activities during political turmoil in 2013 and 2014.

A case was filed with Habiganj Sadar Police Station under Money Laundering Prevention Act.