Firearms, ammunition, jihadi books found in netrokona

A special police team in Netrokona Sadar Upazila discovered an Indian pistol, 17 rounds of ammunition, a dummy AK-47 rifle, and jihadi books from a house suspected to be a militant hideout on Saturday afternoon.

Netrokona Police Superintendent Fayez Ahmed confirmed to the media that due to the suspicion of explosives, a bomb disposal team from Dhaka would arrive at the scene later on Saturday night for further investigation.

According to a report by private television channel NTV, access to the house has been restricted. Local residents stated that the house in Vashapara, cordoned off due to suspicions of militant activity, was built around 20 years ago by Abdul Mannan from Noapara village in Atpara Upazila. Abdul Mannan is a teacher at Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology (DUET) and had intended to establish a college there, but it never materialized.

Two years ago, Mannan rented the house to an individual named Arif. Following this, the boundary walls were heightened, and approximately 20 CCTV cameras were installed along the perimeter, surrounded by coconut and mango trees. The property features two ponds, and locals noted that entry was strictly prohibited. Additionally, they never saw anyone entering or leaving the house during the day. Arif, the tenant, has been untraceable since the incident.

The police raid, led by Officer-in-Charge Abul Kalam of Netrokona Model Police Station, commenced around 1 PM based on intelligence reports. During the operation, the police found a foreign pistol, 17 rounds of ammunition, numerous toy pistols, two walkie-talkies, a laptop, handcuffs, and a sack full of jihadi books in a ground-floor room of the house.

The police suspect that there might be bomb-like explosives in the house. Netrokona Police Superintendent Fayez Ahmed inspected the site in the evening. He informed the press that the Counter-Terrorism Unit has been alerted and added, “The house is suspected to be a militant hideout where training was possibly conducted. Detailed information will be available once the bomb disposal team investigates further.”

Asadullah Chowdhury, Additional Deputy Inspector General of the Anti-Terrorism Unit in Mymensingh Division, told the media, “The site has been inspected. We have notified the specialist team from the Counter-Terrorism Unit and the SWAT Unit. They will conduct a thorough investigation once they arrive.”