<i>Imam, 5 women all in borkha</i>

Police suspect their link to JMB

14 March 2009, 18:00 PM

A Correspondent, Lalmonirhat

Police on Friday night arrested an Imam of a local mosque and five women, all in borkha (veil), from the Lalmoni Exhibition and Trade Fair at stadium ground, suspecting their link to Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Finding movement of the six veiled people suspicious, Detective Branch men caught them and handed over to Lalmonirhat Sadar Police Station at night, police said. The arrestees are Maulana Abu Sayeed, 34, imam of Khochabari mosque in Lalmonirhat town and hailing from Bholar Chawra Mohendranagar village in Sadar upazila, Chhoti Begum, 32, Eti Begum, 30, Nazma Begum, 28, Aduri Begum, 30, and Shahina Akhter, 22, -- all residents at Namatari village in Lalmonirhat town. The five women are family members of madrasha teacher Hossain Ali. Talking to journalists, police quoted Maulana Abu Sayeed as saying, “Three of the women are my sisters-in-law and two others are wives of brothers-in-law. They expressed desire to go to Lalmni fair at stadium ground but I forbade. As they continued insistence, we went there wearing borkha to avoid being seen by people.” “Police will take necessary steps after interrogation and investigation. They will be sent to the court if their link with JMB is found. Otherwise they will be released from the police station,” Sadar Police Station Officer-in-Charge Foyezur Rahman said.