Samiun Rahman arrested: Briton arrested in Bangladesh on suspicion of recruiting jihadists to fight with Isis in Syria

British-born Samiun Rahman has been arrested on suspicion of recruiting volunteers for Isis

Samiun Rahman (centre), has been arrested on suspicion of ties with global jihadist organisations in Dhaka (AFP)

A 24-year-old British man has been arrested by police in Bangladesh on suspicion of recruiting volunteers to fight alongside Islamic State jihadists in Syria.

Samiun Rahman, of London, is accused of travelling to the South Asian country in February to recruit for Isis and the al Qaeda-linked Nusra Front, police have said.

British-born Rahman, who is understood to be of Bangladeshi origin, had allegedly been planning to establish a militant network in Bangladesh and neighbouring Myanman.

Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of the Detective and Criminal Intelligence Division (DCID) told a news conference in Dhaka: “He has plans to recruit and send a team from Bangladesh to fight in Syria.”

The arrest comes amid growing concern that Isis is attempting to recruit fighters from across South and Southeast Asia.

Residents in parts of Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan have reported seeing Isis propaganda material appearing recently, according to Reuters.

Meanwhile, at least one Taliban splinter group in Pakistan has declared its support for Isis (also known as Islamic State and Isil).

Police say Rahman joined the Nusra Front in Syria in September 2013 and fought with the group until December before returning to Britain.

He is accused of visiting a number of other countries to recruit would-be jihadists before arriving in Bangladesh to do the same.

Police say Rahman connected with a young man in Bangladesh on Facebook before landing in the country.

Earlier this month Indian media reported four men, including two engineering students, had been arrested in the Indian city of Kolkata trying to make their way to join an Isis recruiter in Bangladesh.

Police last week arrested seven suspected members of militant group Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh in a Dhaka suburb who said they had also established contact with Isis.

The suspects were in possession of materials used to manufacture explosives and planned to attack high-profile individuals, police said.