Dhaka: Bangladeshi security forces today
arrested 14 suspected members of the banned Islamist group JMB
from western Jhinaidah district, officials said.
"Acting on a tip off, we arrested them from a rented
house from Kanchanpur area where they were residing for the
past two and half years," said Rezaul Karim, the district
Superintendent of Police.
He told that "they were holding a clandestine
meeting at the time of the raid". Karim said among those held
included "anchalik nayak" or regional leader of the outfit.
The 14 suspected militants are operatives of extremist
Allar Dal, which is believed to be an offshoot of outlawed
Jamaatul Islam Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), officials said.
The police seized several documents, including briefs
on the government’s security arrangements in the capital ahead
of the landmark Supreme Court verdict upholding the death
sentence of the killers of Bangladesh's founder Sheikh Mujibur
Rahman.
"It appeared from the documents and initial
interrogations, the suspects kept themselves updated on
anti-militant campaigns and security vigil," the police chief
said.
"We are still interrogating them and will seek remand
under a court order tomorrow for further questioning," Karim
said.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, November 21, 2009, 18:56