They are Moulana Mufti Abdur Rouf, suicide squad members Saiful Islam and Kamruzzaman Kamal, and two Ehsar (full-time) members of banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Tofazzal Hossain and Mahmudul Hassan.

Two more remanded militants -- Abu Huraira and Shafiq -- are undergoing interrogation at Bhaluka police station.

Police have yet to get any 'important information' from them, Officer-in-Charge (OC) Mizanur Rahman of Bhaluka police station told The Daily Star yesterday.

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested 25 militants from a Bhaluka madrasa in Mymensingh and two more from Seed Store Bazar in the upazila on August 2.

Police produced them all before a court under section 54 and took the seven to remand, while a Mymensingh court sent 20 others to jail as no specific charge was brought against them.

JIC in Dhaka started the interrogation, Rab Legal and Media Wing Director Commander Masuq Hassan Ahmed told The Daily Star last night. "We have only started the interrogation but nothing important has been found yet," he said.

A trial court convicted Rouf and Tofazzal a few months ago for their involvement in last year's August 17 blasts in Rajbari, sentenced them to 10 years in prison and fined each of them Tk 10,000, Masuq added.

Police have very little to do with the case as Rab is handling all the cases and interrogations in connection with militants, said a Bhaluka police official.

Meanwhile, the arrest of Abdur Rouf created quite a wave at Naldanga in Natore, Atrai, Raninagar in Naogaon, and Bagmara in Rajshahi, the areas where another banned organisation Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) had tortured people, reports our staff correspondent in Rajshahi.

The arrested Afghan war veteran Mufti Abdur Rouf was well known as a fierce militant under an alias, Robin Hood, in Rajshahi region where JMJB operated in 2004.

After his arrest from Bhaluka, local residents at Naldanga in Natore, Atrai, Raninagar in Naogaon and Bagmara in Rajshahi were talking about Rouf's activities.

Rouf first appeared at Bagmara two weeks after JMJB's Siddikul Islam alias Bangla Bhai started his 'anti-outlaw' activities on April 1, 2004.

Rouf was widely known as Robin Hood and used to stay close to Bangla Bhai and other JMB shura members, a number of Bagmara residents said adding that Bangla Bhai himself selected Rouf's alias.

A victim of JMJB's torture, Fazlur Rahman of Hasanpur, identified Robin Hood seeing his picture in newspapers. He earlier saw him in company with JMB chief Abdur Rahman, Bangla Bhai, Ataur Rahman Sunny and Abdul Awal.

"Rouf was usually not to be seen directly involved with JMJB murders and violence, but he addressed many religious meetings and gatherings during the turbulent period", Fazlu said.

He used to convince people of JMJB activities in the areas through misinterpretation of Islamic rules, said villagers.

He stayed a long period at Razakar Ramjan Kaya's house, which JMJB used as its torture camp. He interrogated many abducted people in the camp and offered tawba (repentance) for their alleged 'misdeeds'.

Rouf and Bangla Bhai started staying with JMB chief Abdur Rahman from May 17, 2004 when the JMJB camp at Aloknagar High School in Bagmara was shifted to Bhiti Siddikia Madrasa at Raninagar in Naogaon.