Mannan family terrorist cell

The Mannan family terrorist cell refers to twelve members from three generations of the same British-Bangladeshi Muslim family who, in 2015, left their home in Luton, Bedfordshire, England together and joined the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria. None of them ever returned to the UK and in 2019 it was confirmed that all of them were dead.[1]

The family members who left the UK included: Muhammed Abdul Mannan, 75; his wife Minera Khatun, 53; Rajia Khanom, 21; Mohammed Toufique Hussain, 19; Mohammed Zayd Hussain, 25; Mohammed Abil Kashem Saker, 31; Sheida Khanam, 27; Mohammed Saleh Hussain, 26; Roshanara Begum, 24; and three children between 1 and 11 years of age who were never publicly named.[1][2]

Mohammed Abil Kashem Saker and Sheida Khanam were married to each other but there are conflicting reports as to which of them was Mannan's natural child and which was his in-law. Mohammed Saleh Hussain and his wife Roshanara Begum were members of the extended family. The family group includes the youngest and the oldest British people known to have gone to live in ISIL-controlled territory.[3]

Life in England

Mannan was from Fenchuganj in Bangladesh. He had two brothers in Bangladesh and one in the United States. He moved to England in 1962 and worked in restaurants thereafter.[2] By the time of the family's disappearance, they lived in on Spencer Road in Luton.[4]

Ashuk Ahmed, a community leader who had known the family for 35 years, said Mannan would visit the local mosque multiple times a day[5] and that his sons ran successful businesses as electricians and plumbers and were not strict Muslims.[6] By 2015, Mannan had diabetes, and Khatun was suffering from throat cancer.[6]

Rajia's cousin said Rajia had a different attitude than the rest of the family and was very strict with the others when it came to observing religious rules. She was also reportedly an active member of an unspecified Islamist organization, the head of their Luton branch.[2] Authorities believe Rajia had links with the terrorist network Al-Muhajiroun, which had members living in Luton.[6]

Ashuk Ahmed said he heard that some of the women in the family might have been radicalized, had decided to travel to Syria, and had used the trip to Bangladesh with the rest of the family as a cover to avoid detection.[4] He said, "They're a very genuine and loving family. I don't believe the father and mother were aware of what was happening."[6]

Departure for Syria

On April 9, 2015, the family was prevented from flying out of Heathrow Airport, and Rajia was questioned because she was suspected of intending to go to Syria. She was not arrested but the Bedfordshire Police did search the home she shared with her parents.[4] After the authorities found no evidence that anyone in the family was heading to Syria, they were permitted to fly the next day.[6]

The family visited Bangladesh after leaving the UK.[7] While in that country, Mohammed Toufique Hussain sent messages to his friends over Snapchat and his friends did not suspect anything out of the ordinary was happening.[6] On May 11, the family flew to Istanbul. They had return tickets to Heathrow for May 14, but never arrived back in England.[7]

They were reported missing by Mannan's two sons from a previous marriage, who also lived in Luton.[1] On May 21, the Mannan called his brother in Bangladesh and wouldn't say where he and the others were, but said they were fine and their family should not worry. He also told his brother not to tell anyone about them.[2]

There was speculation among people who knew them that they had been kidnapped.[7] In a statement, the family's relatives said: "This is completely out of character and we are very worried of the danger they may now be in. This just does not make any sense. We can only think they have been tricked into going there, it is no place for elderly or young people."[4][5]

One of Mannan's sons left back in England, Shalim Hussain, told ITV News his father had been "tricked" and that Mannan had been calling from Syria, in tears.[8] Shalim said the family was staying in an Istanbul hotel when a group of men came and asked to check their passports, then the family members were taken downstairs one by one, until only Mannan and Khatun were left. The elderly couple asked what was happening and where their children and grandchildren were being taken, and the men told them not to worry and to go back to England without them.[9] Mannan and Khatun refused to be separated from the rest of the family, so the men said to come with them. The family was then put in two different waiting vehicles and driven away.[3]

Shalim Hussain said he had seen "nothing unusual" prior to the family's departure from the UK and no signs that anyone in the family was an ISIL supporter.[3] Shalim's brother, Mohammed Akhtar Hussain, said, "If anyone had plans to go to Syria and join any groups there, it would have been my sister," Rajia.[6]

With ISIL

Two months after arrival in Syria, a British ISIL member passed on a press release to the BBC which was said to be from the Mannan family.[10] The statement declared their allegience to ISIL and urged other Muslims to come to Syria, saying:

We release this statement to confirm that, indeed we are in the Islamic State. A land that is free from the corruption and oppression of man made law and is governed by the shariah... Yes, all 12 of us and why should this number be shocking, when there are thousands and thousands of Muslims from all corners of the world that are crossing over land and sea everyday to come to the Islamic State? That are willingly leaving the so called freedom and democracy that was forced down our throat in the attempt to brainwash Muslims to forget their powerful and glorious past and now present...[7]

Their statement said the family was not being held against their will and felt "safer than we have ever felt before" and urged other Muslims to "rush to the command of your Khalif. Race to your state."[11] It included a photo of Muhammed Abdul Mannan and Minera Khatun taken in Syria. In the image, Mannan was pointing his index finger up, a hand gesture associated with ISIL, and Khatun was wearing a niqab, which was mandatory in ISIL territory.[7] Shalim Hussain said the statement and photograph were "pure propaganda."[3]

In June 2019, it was reported that every member of the family group who had traveled to Syria was now dead. Mannan and Khatun died of natural causes in ISIL territory. Three of the younger men in the family group, including Mannan's sons, were killed fighting for ISIL.[1] Seven other family members, including the three children, were killed together in an airstrike when they tried to flee ISIL's last territorial stronghold in Baghuz.[12][13]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "British-Bangladeshi family killed after joining IS in Syria". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  2. ^ a b c d Ahmed, Manjur (July 5, 2015). "Daughter may have persuaded British family of Bangladesh origin to join Islamic State, relatives suspect". bdnews24.com. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  3. ^ a b c d "Grandfather who left Britain to join Isis was 'tricked', says son". The Independent. July 9, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  4. ^ a b c d "Missing Luton family 'in Syria'". BBC News. July 2, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Luton family of 12 'may have gone to Syria'". BBC News. July 1, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g Halliday, Josh; Khomami, Nadia (July 2, 2015). "Missing Luton family were stopped by police when trying to leave UK". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Missing UK family 'safer than ever with Islamic State'". BBC News. July 4, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  8. ^ Kachroo, Rohit (September 15, 2015). "ITV News exclusive: 'My dad doesn't want to be in Syria with Islamic State'". ITV News. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  9. ^ "IS tricked Bangladesh origin UK family into Syria: Son | The Daily Star". www.thedailystar.net. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  10. ^ "Bangladeshi family of UK safe with us: Islamic State". bdnews24.com. July 15, 2015. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  11. ^ Hewitt, Andrew (July 4, 2015). "Missing UK family of 12 "safer than ever" after joining ISIS". Daily Mirror. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  12. ^ "British family of 12 suspected of joining Islamic State 'all die in Syria'". Sky News. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
  13. ^ "British family of 12 suspected of joining Islamic State in Syria 'all dead'". Irish Independent. June 28, 2019. Retrieved March 15, 2026.
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