Ansar al Islam’s first female member held

The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of police has held a suspected college going woman in connection with militant outfit Ansar al Islam.

She was detained from Badda area in the capital on August 26. Now, she is facing a remand at the CTTC.

CTTC chief and Deputy Inspector General Md. Asaduzzaman said this during a press conference held at DMP media centre in the capital on Sunday (August 29).

“The detained college student’s name is Jobayda Siddika Nabila (19). She got involved with Ansar al Islam. This is the first time a female member of the militant outfit is held. A case has been filed with Badda police station in this regard,” Asaduzzaman said.

Quoting family police said, “Her family noticed changes in her and moved to marry off. But, meeting the groom Nabila said, she wants to be ‘Shaheed’ and dismissed to wed the man.”

Nabila and her family hails from Lalmohon upazila of Bhola. Her father is a teacher.

During interrogation of the law enforcers Nabila said, she opened a fake facebook account in 2020 and started following  Ansar al Islam’s official page ‘Titumir Media’. She used to follow various videos, audios and write-ups. Later, she got connected with amin of the page who gave her Ansar al Islam’s official website link.  

Since then, Nabila visited the official website and started following their radical ideology firmly. She picked online handles to spread the ideology.

She opened multiple fake accounts in facebook and telegram. Police found two of her facebook accounts, four telegram accounts and one chirpwire account. Nabila used to spread Ansar al Islam’s belief, communicate with other IDs like her and discuss on different plans.

The most social media handle Nabila used was telegram. She operated four accounts and more than 15 channels.

The radical Islamist group uses telegram app most to operate communications among its members.

Police said, Nabila was mentally prepared to take part in violence. Before, she was arrested police thought they would have been searching for a male.

The law enforcers are trying to find out whether there are more female members of the militant group.