Bangladeshi authorities have arrested at least six members of the Fatah Combat System (FCS), including its chief instructor Shah Amanat Sabir, on allegations that the group was conducting training to support the activities of an extremist organisation, according to local media reports. The arrests were carried out on Sunday from a sand field in the Konapara area of Jatrabari, in the capital Dhaka.

How the Arrests Unfolded

Officials of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) confirmed the detentions. DMP Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media and Public Relations) Niaz Mehdi stated that the six individuals were initially detained before being formally placed under arrest in accordance with Bangladesh's Code of Criminal Procedure. Police sought a seven-day remand, but the court approved only three days, according to Bangladeshi media outlet Dhaka Stream. The suspects are currently being held in the custody of Bangladesh's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit.

The Allegations Against FCS

The arrests followed public accusations by journalist Zulqarnain Sayer, a contract member of an investigative team with an international media outlet, who alleged in a social media post that Shah Amanat Sabir and FCS had been providing training to extremists through an extensive network and maintaining ties with militants reportedly returning from Afghanistan. Sayer further alleged that the group was using a housing project funded by a charitable organisation as cover to recruit members for the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and to establish a Bangladesh-based outfit modelled on the Pakistani militant group, as reported by Dhaka Stream.

Bangladeshi newspaper Blitz reported, citing its own information, that FCS has been operating across several districts in Bangladesh under the guise of a self-defence and martial arts institution. 'Publicly, it advertises discipline, fitness, confidence, and practical combat skills. Privately, it is accused of something darker: ideological screening, digital radicalisation, recruitment pipelines, and links to transnational jihadist movements. If true, this is not merely a law-enforcement issue. It is a national security warning,' the report stated.

Extremist Links Alleged

The Blitz report further warned that FCS allegedly presents itself as a faith-conscious martial arts network while reportedly circulating propaganda linked to groups including Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM), Hamas, and Al-Qaeda affiliates. 'The allegation...follows a familiar global pattern: use respectable institutions to identify vulnerable recruits. The method matters as much as the message,' it noted. All such allegations remain unproven in court at this stage.

FCS Response and Social Media Activity

Following the arrests, the FCS reportedly issued a social media post calling for the release of the detained members. A comment posted beneath that appeal — which briefly appeared before being removed — reportedly urged 'all Al-Qaeda and IS supporters' to assemble outside the police station. The origin and authenticity of that comment have not been independently verified.

With the suspects now in CTTC custody and a three-day remand in effect, investigators are expected to formally present their findings before the court in the coming days.