JOYPURHAT, Mar 1: Police of the northern districts have engaged its all strengths in arresting Sirajul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, chief of the militant organisation JMJB and his supreme leader Abdur Rahman, and other members of AHAB, JMB and JMJB, reports BSS.

Members of outlawed extremist organisations Jagrato Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), Jamaatul Mujaheed in Bangladesh (JMB) and Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) have gone into hiding as the law-enforcing agencies launched a massive hunt in the northern districts.

Five more suspected JMB leaders were arrested from Joypurhat on Monday and four of them granted four-day police remand Tuesday afternoon by a magistrate court in Joypurhat. The number of arrested, including Dr Muhammad Asadullah Al Ghalib, rose to 63 in the northern region so far, police sources said.

According to the sources, Kalai thana police of Joypurhat arrested vice-president of the Joypurhat unit of Ahle Hadith Andolan Bangladesh (AHAB) Anisur Rahman, 40, secretary Khalilur Rahman, 33, two imams of two mosques Mostafa Ali, 32, and Salimullah 32, and Ahle Hadith Madrasha Super of Kalai Golam Mostafa, 35, on Monday.

The court granted four-day police remand for each of the first four persons and Golam Mostafa was sent to jail hazat under section 54 of CrPC, the sources said. Meanwhile, five arrested Golam Mostafa, 22, Deloar Hossain, 26, Salahuddin, 32, Enamul Haq, 22, and Sirajul Islam, 32, of Joypurhat were sent to jail hazat Monday afternoon. Of them, Enamul Haque, 22, and Serajul Islam, 32, gave confessional statements under section-164 about their direct involvement in the JMB activities, police sources said.

A total of 63 suspected militant outfits have so far been arrested in connections with the recent bomb and grenade incidents in the region from different places of Joypurhat, Naogaon, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Natore, Sirajganj, Bogra, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Thakurgaon districts.

Other law-enforcing agencies are also working round the clock to nab these suspects, the sources said.

Some frontier villagers apprehended that Bangla Bhai might have fled to the neighbouring country. But, police could not confirm such apprehension.

The law and order improved in the region, the sources said.

UNB from Thakurgaon adds: A suspected Islamist militant was arrested from Jibanpur village in Haripur upazila on Tuesday.

Monirul Islam, a teacher of Kuchgaon Primary School, was arrested at 10am as he is a "listed militant" of Haripur, Officer-in-Charge of the thana Moniruzzaman said.

"I was a member of local Jamaat-e-Islami, but I left the party as Jamaat-e-Islami supported women''s leadership after the general election in 2001," Monirul told local journalists after his arrest.

Nine suspected militants have so far been arrested in this district.

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