4 JMB men arrested in Rangpur

Police yesterday arrested four alleged operatives of banned terror outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Rangpur.

Police said they recovered a handgun, three crude bombs and several sharp weapons from their possession while four other associates of the arrestees escaped during a raid near an abandoned brickfield at Shahbazpur village of Rangpur Sadar upazila around 2:30am on Sunday.

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Three police personnel were hurt as crude bombs were hurled at the law enforcers while police also fired at least six gunshots during the raid, according to police.

The arrestees, all from Pirgachha upazila in Rangpur, were identified as Belal Hossain, 46, son of late Joynuddin from Durgacharan village, Ershad Alam, 28, son of Hobibor Rahman from Tangailpara village, Ashraful Islam, 23, son of Montazur Rahman from Tangailpara village, and Al Amin, 20, son of Ismail Hossain from Poshuakhapara village.

The injured policemen were identified as Masud Karim, sub-inspector at Rangpur Detective Branch, and Constables Mohammad Asad and Kutub Uddin.

Rangpur Police Superintendent Mizanur Rahman during a media briefing held at his office said all the four arrestees are close aides of the JMB members who killed Bahai leader Ruhul Amin in Rangpur city and Japanese national Kunio Hoshi and khadem Rahmat Ali in Rangpur's Kaunia upazila.

One of the arrestees, Belal Hossain, was a trainer of Saddam Hossain -- a charge-sheeted accused in the Kunio Hoshi murder case, he said, adding that Belal, who was an imam at a mosque in Kaliakoir, joined Shibir in 1991 and JMB in 2014.

Chief Judicial magistrate's court of Shafiul Alam granted seven days' remand for the arrestees after police produced them before it with a 10-day remand prayer yesterday afternoon.

Three cases have been filed against the arrestees with Rangpur Sadar Police Station.