July 13, 2026
DHAKA – A Dhaka court today placed seven suspects linked to an alleged extremist network operating under the guise of martial arts training on a fresh three-day remand, as police sought to uncover the group’s activities and underlying objectives.
Investigators said they also needed to track down absconding and unidentified suspects, identify other members of the network, and determine the purpose and operations of “Fatah Combat System”.
Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Monirul Islam passed the order after police produced the seven before the court with a seven-day remand prayer for each.
The accused are martial arts instructor Shah Amanat Sabir, his associates Hossain Tanim, Md Junaid, Ataullah Shah, Md Abidur Rahman, Md Bayozit, and Tahsin Islam alias Sultan Musanna.
In the remand prayer, police said information obtained during earlier rounds of interrogation needed to be verified. They also sought time to identify the organisation’s other members and gather information about the whereabouts of the absconding accused.
Investigators told the court that preliminary evidence suggested the arrestees were involved in the activities of an extremist organisation, but several important questions remained unanswered.
For Sabir and Tanim, this is the third spell of police remand since their arrest. Junaid, Ataullah, Abidur and Bayozit had previously been remanded once, while Tahsin was arrested later in Jashore.
Inspector AB Siddiq of Jatrabari Police Station filed the case on July 11 against 16 named people and several unidentified others.
The case was filed six days after Sabir, Tanim, Junaid, Ataullah, Abidur and Bayozit were detained from a field beside the “Mini Cox’s Bazar” area in Jatrabari on July 5.
They were initially shown arrested under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure after police alleged that they had gathered there for training linked to extremist activities. Six mobile phones were seized from them.
According to the latest remand prayer, the six disclosed during questioning that an organisation called “Sabir Bhaiyer Jamaat” existed and identified Sabir as its leader.
Police alleged that the accused held different positions in the group and sought to endanger Bangladesh’s sovereignty, obstruct development activities, and establish what they described as “Shariah ideology” through militancy.
Sabir allegedly operated the Facebook page “Fatah Combat System” to run the group’s activities and recruit followers under the guise of martial arts training, the remand prayer said.
Members allegedly communicated through Facebook, Messenger, WhatsApp and Telegram, using aliases, group chats, private messages and channels. Police claimed they used the platforms to recruit and train members and spread extremist views.
Police said Tahsin provided information about “Sabir Bhaiyer Jamaat” during preliminary questioning. The case statement also refers to a video allegedly showing Sabir detonating a crude explosive. Police claimed he admitted being the person in the footage and said the video had been recorded to create panic.
Investigators further alleged that, after the six were detained, associates of the group posted threatening and provocative messages on Facebook demanding their release.