Some ‘politicians’ helped LeT spread roots in Bangla: Report

Indian nationals Mufti Obaidullah and Moulana Mohammad Mansur Ali hinted about their political links in Bangladesh as they were interrogated.

Pakistan-based terror outfit LeT,whose two suspected members having Indian nationality were arrested in Bangladesh recently,is believed to have spread its roots in this country with the help of several politicians and the HuJI militant group,a media report said in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Indian nationals Mufti Obaidullah and Moulana Mohammad Mansur Ali,the two suspected LeT operatives arrested last month,hinted about their political links in Bangladesh as they were interrogated,’The Daily Star’ newspaper said.

“Investigators learnt about the political patrons from two recently-detained LeT operatives and Indian nationals — Mufti Obaidullah and Moulana Mohammad Mansur Ali,” the report said quoting the “sources in the intelligence and law enforcement agencies.”

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Citing an unidentified former official of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB),it said the elite anti-crime force came to know about Lashkar-e-Toiba’s existence in Bangladesh with patronage of at least seven politicians during the past BNP-led four-party regime of former premier Khaleda Zia.

Though law enforcers had detained several LeT operatives in the past,they formally admitted the outfit’s existence here only last month after the Detective Branch of police arrested the two Indian nationals,working for the Pakistani outfit.

“…they could not carry the investigation through (earlier) as they had limitations with the four-party alliance in power,” it said.

RAB’s Director General Hassan Mahmud,however,declined to confirm or reject the newspaper report immediately. “I have gone through the report,but I don’t want to make any comment immediately … I don’t know who on what basis made the comment,” he said.

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But earlier reports had claimed that India-based Asif Reza Commando Force (ARCF),which works together with Pakistan’s LeT,supplied grenades for the 2004 attack on incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Bangladesh police on July 20 arrested the suspected second LeT operative,Ali,after days of manhunt following the arrest of Obaidullah. Officials said both of them were also suspected to have links with ARCF and Bangladesh’s HuJI.

Detective policemen last month arrested Obaidullah in line with statements of earlier arrested Indian underworld operative Dawdood Merchant belonging to Dawdood Ibrahim’s network.

“They admitted that LeT and ARCF have links with Dawdood Ibrahim’s network for convenience though they did not support their activities like killing in exchange of money or smuggling,” an official earlier said.