Dhaka: Three members of the banned
Islamist terror group HUJI, suspected to be involved in a 2001
bomb blast in the capital, have been arrested by the elite RAB
forces, an official said on Monday.
Moulana Idris Ali, Moulana Abdul Latif and Sakhawat
Hossain alias Dulal were arrested by the Rapid Action
Battalion (RAB) yesterday from the heart of the capital.
The three suspected Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI)
members were arrested in connection with the bomb blasts that
killed five people during a Communist Party of Bangladesh
rally in 2001, the Star online said on Monday.
Rab claimed that the three men are HUJI operatives and
were accused in the bomb blast at Paltan Maidan in Dhaka that
also wounded at least 50 people.
Inspector Mrinal Kanti of the Criminal Investigation
Department were quoted as saying that Idris and Latif are
suspects in the case. He said that Sakhawat will be
interrogated further to determine whether he was also involved
in the crime.
According to the daily's report, based on sources,
Idris was a member of HUJI and Latif was an explosives trainer
of the banned militant organisation.
Security forces have stepped up a campaign against
terror outfits following orders from the home ministry amid
fears that they could by trying to regroup. Intelligence
agencies have warned that the banned Islamist outfits,
including the Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), may be
trying to regroup in the country.
According to analysts, JMB still remains active and
dangerous despite the decimation of its ranks over the last
five years.
PTI
First Published: Monday, March 15, 2010, 20:33