DHAKA: Militants are getting prepared to attack top leaders of the ruling party and on important establishments of the country, police Tuesday quoted the just-captured chief of a dreaded militant outfit as saying.

The new chief of the banned Islamist outfit jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) Saidur Rahman Zafar divulged their hit list during interrogation under custody, police said at a press briefing.

They also quoted the arrested militant kingpin, who succeeded the executed JMB chief, Shaikh Abdur Rahman, as saying that the banned JMB and Hijbut Tahrir are being backed by a political party in a bid to foil the government initiative to hold trial of the war criminals.

IGP of police Noor Mohammad, however, told reporters that the militant outfits are not strong enough now to launch any massive operation in the country.

“Though some militants are trying to commit subversive acts, their organizational structures have already been broken by arresting almost all the leaders of the band outfits,” said Noor Mohammad at the press briefing at the Police Headquarters.

The militants, however, were not brought before the reporters at the press meet.

A combined force of CID, DB and Police arrested Saidur Rahman with his third wife, Naima Akter, in a special drive at Kadamtali. Police also arrested his sidekick Abdullahel Kafi at the same time. Jihad leaflets, books and maps on the plans of militant strikes were also seized.

Another team of the Counter-terrorism Cell arrested the Chief coordinator of JMB’s military wing Amir Hossain Sharif and ‘Ahser’ member Noor Hossain Sabuj in a drive at Painadi in Narayanganj.

Police seized a foreign pistol, bullets, fresh bomb and hand-grenade from them. Also netted are elements of making bomb, Jihad leaflets, and documents of military direction from Sharif’s house.


BDST: 7:36 Hrs, May 25, 2010
HRR/SA/SMS/MUA