12 more 'JMB operatives' identified in Satkhira

They have been identified after quizzing arrested JMB cadres Nasir Uddin and Maniruzzaman Munna.

A hunt is on to nab them police said but declined to give their names. No more suspect could be arrested till yesterday.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Police sources said they suspect that there are over 1500 'trained religious extremists' of JMB who are active in Satkhira district.

Police said they and other agencies are also gathering information about 350 people in the district who had visited Afghanistan, Iran and Lybia earlier.

Intelligence sources said there are several thousand followers of JMB chief Maulana Abdur Rahman and Ahab chief Dr Asadullah Al Galib in Satkhira district. Dr Galib hails from Bularati village in the Sadar upazila.

There are several madrashas in the district, which were used as 'training centres' of the militants.

Intelligence sources said they grew in number as extremists arrested after earlier bomb blasts in the district were not tried.

The bomb blast incidents that took place on September 28 in 2002 at Roxy cinema hall and Satkhira stadium were not investigated properly.

Another JMB cadre, Anisur Rahman Khokon, a former activist of Islami Chhatra Shibir, was arrested but released after 36 hours allegedly due to pressure from a leader of an opposition party, sources said.

A source claimed that Anisur Rahman took training in Afghanistan.

Intelligence agencies have gathered information about arrested JMB cadre Nasir Uddin, who confessed to his involvement in the August 17 blasts. Nasir Uddin hails from Nehalpur village in Keshabpur upazila in Jessore district. He went to India about 40 years back. When he was a student of class ten there, he married an Indian girl. In Bangladesh he settled at Bakal Islampur in the Sadar upazila.

Nasir Uddin took training at a centre in a remote area in Chittagonj Hill Tracts under Harkat-ul Zihad chief Mufti Abdul Hannan, a prime accused in the Katalipara bomb blast case.

According to sources, JMB has also established several mosques and madrashas in bordering areas.

One Alauddin alias Ala Hujur of bordering Kushkhali village is the 'second in command' of JMB chief Abdur Rahman. Police raided his house but could not nab him as he is absconding since the August 17 blasts.

Two others from a bordering village--Quddus and Riaz-- are also central leaders of JMB, sources said.

Police also raided the houses of Ahad and Ashraf of Baliadanga village, Fakar Udddin Raji of Patharghata and Gias Uddin of Kadamtala in the Sadar upazila but could not nab them as they are hiding. The four were arrested by police with leaflets and books in 2002.

Police have also launched a hunt for Nayeem of Patharghata village; Kalam, Shamim and Asadullah of Kharbila and Mahfuz of Itagachha village, who reportedly took training abroad but are hiding now.