Rapid Action Battalion yesterday arrested four men, who are allegedly members of militant outfit “Allah’r Dol”, from the capital’s Hatirjheel area.

A team of Rab-3 arrested Ibrahim Ahmed Hiro, 46, acting “ameer” of Allah’r Dol; Abdul Aziz, 50; Shafiqul Islam Suruj, 38, and Rashidul Islam, 28, in a drive late on Sunday, said Rab-3 Commanding Officer Lt Col Emranul Hasan at a briefing yesterday.

Acting chief Hiro joined the outfit in 1997. A motor parts trader by profession, Hiro hails from Pabna. Abdul Aziz, hailing from Gaibandha, is the second-in-command. He also joined the outfit in 1997, according to Rab.  

Mobile phones, pen drives, hard disks, a credit card, and a cheque book were seized from the arrestees.

The Rab official said Allah’r Dol was formed in 1995 under the leadership of Matin Mehedi alias Mominul Islam. In late 2004, the outfit merged with banned militant organisation Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

As JMB faced a serious blow after the arrest of its top leaders following the 2005 countrywide bomb blasts, Matin left JMB with his followers and tried to reorganise Allah’r Dol.

He was arrested in 2007 when he was still the ameer, said a Rab press release.

Due to strategic reason, Allah’r Dol was renamed Allah’r Sarkar in 2014, it added.

“The arrested members admitted that the aim of the organisation is to remove democracy through armed struggle and subversive activities to establish extremist rule,” the press release added.

Asked about the organisation’s manpower and financial strength, Lt Col Emranul said a case has already been lodged and they will appeal for the arrestees’ remand to a court.

“During interrogation we will try to get more details about the outfit,” he told The Daily Star.

Replying to another query, he said, though the organisation is not banned, they have found evidence of the outfit’s members’ involvement in militancy.

He said Allah’r Dol does not have any faith in the constitution of Bangladesh.

The Rab-3 CO said the top leaders planned to free their ameer, Matin, from jail by ambushing a prison van.

The arrestees said they also planned to gain organisational strength by recruiting members using internet and social media. They also targeted to recruit people in remote areas, he added.