Team to quiz Barguna Islamic militants

Six of the 33 were taken to Dhaka for quizzing by a joint interrogation cell.

Other members of the team are Officers-in-Charge of Barguna Sadar, Patharghata and Amtali police stations, District Inspector of Police-1, Inspector and sub-inspectors of CID, DSB and NSI in Barguna.

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The 33 were arrested on Wednesday last from a madrassah in Barguna when they were taking combat training, police said earlier. They include madrassah teachers and students and imams of mosques. They were taken on remand on Friday.

During interrogation the militants said they want to establish an Islamic state through "armed revolution". They are ready to do everything necessary for this.

They admitted that they belong to the Ahle Hadis sect of Muslims.

During police raid on Wednesday, one person named Mawlana Jasimuddin managed to escape, they told police. A man from Chenbunia village in Patharghata in Barguna district, Jasimuddin was a madrassha teacher at Lalbag in Dhaka.

He had participated in the Afghan war, they told police. Police said they were engaged in recruiting and training youths to preach the Ahle Hadis ideology.