35 Bangladeshis charged in Dhaka after Malaysia terror arrests

A case has been filed in Dhaka against 35 Bangladeshi expatriates who were arrested in Malaysia over suspected links to extremist activities.

Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) of Bangladesh Police filed the case with Airport Police Station on July 5, citing connections to an internationally banned terrorist organization.

Police Inspector Md. Abdul Baten of ATU lodged the complaint.

On July 6, a Dhaka metropolitan magistrate accepted the case and set August 11 for the submission of the investigation report.

Among the accused are Nazrul Islam Sohag, Md. Redwanul Islam, and Zahed Ahmed, three individuals who were deported from Malaysia on July 5 and immediately taken into custody by Bangladeshi authorities.

They were remanded to jail under Section 54 of the Criminal Procedure Code.

According to the case details, the accused were involved in terrorist activities while residing in Malaysia. They allegedly recruited members via social media platforms using Malaysian IP addresses and promoted extremist ideology targeting Bangladeshi nationals.

The group reportedly collected funds, including annual contributions of 500 Malaysian ringgit per member and transferred the money internationally through e-wallets and money transfer services.

Malaysian authorities arrested the 36 Bangladeshi nationals between April 24 and June 21 in Selangor and Johor. Five of them have been formally charged under Section 6A of Malaysia’s Penal Code for terrorism-related offenses.

Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry has stated it is closely monitoring the legal proceedings involving the accused.

Authorities in Dhaka warn that those returning may attempt to continue extremist activities, posing a potential threat to national security, sovereignty and public safety.