DHAKA: Bangladesh has vowed full cooperation to Malaysian authorities and sought more information, following the arrest of 36 Bangladeshi nationals in a recent security operation targeting alleged involvement in the Bangladeshi Radical Militant Group (GMRB). 

“The Bangladesh government is closely monitoring the developments, and the Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur is in close communication with the relevant Malaysian authorities, and will extend necessary support to the expatriate Bangladeshis wherever needed,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry said in a statement issued on Saturday (Jul 5), quoted by local media. 

The ministry also reiterated Dhaka's firm stance against all forms of terrorism, violent extremism and militancy, and said it remains ready to cooperate fully with Malaysian authorities in the matter.

Malaysia authorities had earlier said that the group of Bangladeshis arrested in Malaysia was suspected of sending funds to Islamic State (IS) cells in Syria and Bangladesh, according to local news platform bdnews24.

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At a press conference on Friday, Malaysia's Inspector General of Police Mohd Khalid Ismail said the 36 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested in a series of operations conducted since April. Most of them were employed in factories, construction sites, or the service sector.

Of those, five have been formally charged, while investigations are ongoing against several others. The rest were in the process of being deported, according to Bangladesh anti-terrorism chief Akkas Uddin Bhuiyan, as quoted in bdnews24.

Later that day, three Bangladeshi nationals, deported from Malaysia on suspicion of involvement in militant activities, were arrested and detained after they arrived home. 

The three men now in Bangladeshi custody were among those who were sent back.

They were arrested under Section 54 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and produced before the court on the same day. The court subsequently ordered their detention in jail, according to Akkas, as reported by bdnews24.

Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury reportedly dismissed claims that the recent deportation of suspected extremists from Malaysia indicated the presence of terrorist activity in the country, claiming visa overstays instead for the three citizens deported.

“There is no militant activity in Bangladesh. With your cooperation, we’ve rooted out militancy,” he was quoted saying by Dhaka-based broadsheet The Daily Star. 

He added that any such allegations could be used to apply external pressure or stigmatise the country.

Chowdhury said Malaysia’s claim of a radical militant movement was still being verified, and that no official communication had confirmed the individuals were involved in militancy.

“Our foreign ministry has already issued a press release clarifying the situation. As far as we know, three individuals were deported due to overstaying their visas," he reportedly said.

News of the arrests first emerged on Jun 27, when Malaysia’s Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail announced that 36 Bangladeshi nationals had been detained on suspicion of extremism.

Mohd Khalid said the police’s special branch first detected the group through a number of Facebook accounts actively sharing IS-related content, all traced back to internet protocol (IP) addresses originating in Malaysia.

He added that members paid RM500 (US$118) annually to the Bangladesh “radical militant movement” in membership fees.

The police also have detected between 100 and 150 individuals who are involved in the WhatsApp group, according to the Malay Mail.