4 ‘militants’ held in Sirajganj raid

Introducing themselves as students, four youths rented an under-construction building in Sirajganj's Shahjadpur nearly three weeks ago.

But in the guise of this identity, they used to propagate militancy and train fresh operatives in the hideout on different militant activities, Rab said.

Their aim was to establish a strong network of the banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh in the country's northern area.

Rab said this after four suspected JMB militants surrendered following a six-hour standoff with the force, who cordoned off the tin-roofed hideout early yesterday.

"They are members of JMB... They used the building as their training centre," Col Tofayel Mostafa Sarwar, additional director general (operations) of Rab, told journalists on the spot.

The arrestees are Shamim Hossain alias Kiron, 19, from Sirajganj, Naimul Islam, 25, from Pabna, Atiar Rahman alias Kolom Soinik, 19, from Dinajpur and Aminul Islam alias Shanto, 20, from Satkhira.

The Rab official said Kiron is the JMB commander of Pabna-Sirajganj region.

Rab said they were informed that some militants were staying in Sirajganj, but they only pinpointed the house after two other suspected militants, including JMB's north Bengal Regional Commander Mahmud, were arrested from Rajshahi early Thursday.

Based on their information, the law enforcers cordoned off the hideout at Shahjadpur's Ukilpara around 5:00am. The militants initially responded by firing five to six bullets, Col Tofayel said.

Residents of nearby houses were evacuated to safety as the Rab asked the suspected militants to surrender through a loud speaker and over their phone numbers, which the law enforcers got from those arrested in Rajshahi.

The suspected militants finally surrendered around 10:30am yesterday and came out of the house.

Rab members later searched the house and found two firearms, gunpowder, bomb-making materials and extremism-provoking books there.

The arrestees were regrouping the banned Islamist group in different districts of the north Bengal and providing other operatives training. More operatives were supposed to gather in the hideout, but that did not happen following instructions from a leader, Col Tofayel said.

The Rab official said JMB's north Bengal Regional Commander Mahmud was arrested earlier, but came out of jail on bail and re-engaged himself in militancy. He was organising the banned outfit in the northern region.

Abdullah Al Mamun, a neighbour of the house, said the youths, identifying themselves as students, rented the house from the owner who lives and works in Bogura.