5 JMB suspects held in three districts

The JMB suspect held in Satkhira is a chargesheeted accused in the August 17 bomb blast case in the district.

Our Satkhira Correspondent reports: JMB cadre (JMB) and chargesheeted accused in August 17 blast case Asadul Islam alias Mehedi Hasan was arrested Friday night from Alipur village in the Sadar upazila.

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He is the son of Abdul Majed Sardar of Kharibila village in the same upazila. Acting on a tip-off, Sadar thana police raided the house of his brother-in-law Abdul Hamid and arrested him.

Asadul, 25, is one of the persons accused in the case for blasting bombs in front of Satkhira collectorate building on August 17. The JMB (Jama'atul Mujahidin, Bangladesh) activist went into hiding soon after the serial blasts in the district and elsewhere in the country.

Police said, during interrogation he confessed to his involvement in the August 17 blasts in Satkhira.

Later he told local journalists in front of police that he is a member of Islami Chhatra Shibir, student front of the Jamaat-e-Isami, a coalition partner in the ruling four-party alliance.

He also told police that he was an employee of a watch shop in the town and that one Noor Islam alias Galib asked him to work for Islam. He was also asked to take arms training at Bagmara in Rajshahai but he refused as his employer denied to grant him leave.

He told police that in the early morning of August 17, one Momtaj asked him to go to a house in Rasulpur, used by JMB activists. There he was given a short training on how operate a bomb and asked to carry a bag, he said.

He was absconding since the blasts. He stayed at a shrimp farm in Debhata. At about 10 pm on Friday, he went to his brother-in-law's house, from where he was arrested late in the night.

Police said his statement is being examined and they have prayed for ten days' remand.

Our Kishoreganj Correspondent reports: Acting on a tip-off, Pakundia thana police arrested alleged JMB cadre Rafiq from his house at Fakirpara village in the upazila.

His father Musleah Uddin was arrested on December 14 as he was absconding, said Pakundia thana OC Nazrul Islam.

The OC said that Rafiq in a letter sent to the Pakundia Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) on December 14 said that JMB's 'military wing' sent him and some other cadres to attack UNOs of Pakundia, Katiadi and Hossainpur and the Kishoreganj Deputy Commissioner. He had stated in the letter that he was a member of JMB's suicide squad.

He also stated in the letter that he informed the Pakundia UNO because his conscience says killing of innocent people is a great sin and not the path to go to heaven, the OC said.

Our Netrakona Correspondent reports: Netrakona sadar thana police arrested two JMB suspects from Satpai Professor Para in the town yesterday morning.

They are Akkas Ali, 30, of Hamidia village in Bhanga upazila in Faridpur district and Badsha Mia, 26, of bagarbhatia village in Sagatha upazila in gaibandha district.

Police sources said they will be taken on seven days' remand for interrogation.