Chief of Dhaka Metropolitan Police's counter-terrorism unit, Monirul Islam, said on Tuesday that women turn towards militancy under pressure of their militant husbands.
This comes after local media reports suggested that Bangladesh's new wave of violent extremists, notably the New Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) outfit, are fielding an unprecedented number of female jihadists.
The police came to this conclusion based on information given by the women arrested in recent times following incidents of militancy, the Daily Star reports.
The official said that police are yet to find any evidence that shows women joined "Neo JMB" on their own will.
Terming the incident of a suspected female militant blowing herself up "exceptional", the CTTC chief said she might have done it "out of frustration".
The female militant suspect Shakira detonated herself during a police raid at a hideout of militant outfit "Neo JMB" in Ashkona of Dhaka's Dakkhin Khan on December 24.
Shakira was the wife of Suman, a suspected militant, who according to their family sources was arrested in the past, the counter-terrorism chief said.
"Neo JMB", an offshoot of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), is inspired by the ideologies of Islamic State.
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