7 'JMB men' arrested

Police arrested seven alleged members of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in different parts of Chapainawabganj in the last three days.

They also claimed to have recovered 4.5kg of gunpowder, 52.5kg of explosive power gel and 22 jihadi books in their drives.

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The arrestees are: Harun Or Rashid, 25, and Kamal Uddin alias Sarkar, 32,   of Guthoil village, Nasim Reza alias Shahin, 20, of Berachoki village and Mohammad Firoz, 22, of Shrirampur village under Nachole upazila; Mohammad Babu, 22, of Shibnagar-Kaithapara village, and Azizul Haque, 38, of Raghobpur village under Shibganj upazila; and Abdul Hakim, 20, of Debingara-Fatapara village under Sadar upazila.

All the arrestees were mid-level activists of JMB, claimed TM Mojahidul Islam, superintendent of Chapainawabganj police.

He was addressing a press briefing at his conference room yesterday.

The SP said on information, a police team raided the house of Harun in Guthoil early Wednesday and arrested him along with 22 jihadi books.

Police then detained Kamal, Nasim and Firoz from their houses.

As per their statements, the team went to Matikata village in Rajshahi's Godagari and cordoned off a "militant den". The team then handed over the den to Rajshahi police, said the Chapainawabganj police chief.

The police official said the team conducted a drive in the house of Babu in Shibnagar-Kaithapara village on Thursday and detained him.

Police also recovered a plastic drum hidden under earth and got 4.5kg of gunpowder and 52.5kg of explosive power gel inside it, the SP said.

Police also raided the house of Babu's brother Jewel, but sensing presence of the law enforcers, Jewel fled.

The law enforcers nabbed another JMB suspect Azizul from his Raghobpur house the same day.

Police yesterday caught Hakim from his Debingara-Fatapara village, but his brother Khairul Islam fled.

The SP claimed that Khairul was a grenade supplier to JMB men.

Cases were filed against the seven with their respective police stations.