[Bangla Daily Star] At least four Islamist militant outfits including three banned ones are regrouping their cadres in twelve districts in the southwestern region of the country.
As many as forty top ranking leaders along with their 10,000 cadres are working under the cover of different names.
Sources of law enforcment agencies confirmed the attempt of regrouping based on information gleaned from 31 arrested militants of Hizb-ut Towhid in Kushtia last week.
A total of 10 out of 31 arrested Hizb-ut Towhid men are now being interrogated by Kushtia police after Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court placed them on a four-day remand.
Sources said the law enforcers are now trying to hunt down the chiefs of those outfits holed up in different districts.
The outfits operating in the region are Allahr Dal, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Harkat-ul Jihad al Islami (Huji) and Hizb-ut Towhid.
The militants are mainly active in ten districts of Khulna division -- Kushtia, Meherpur, Jhenidah, Magura, Chuadanga, Jessore, Khulna, Narail, Bagerhat and Satkhira and in two districts of Dhaka division -- Rajbari and Faridpur.
Allahar Dal and Hizb-ut Towhid are active in Kushtia, Meherpur, Jhenidah and Chuadanga, Huji in Jhneidah, Magura and Faridpur and JMB in Satkhira, Narail, Khulna, Jessore and Rajbari.
Of the outfits, Hizb-ut Towhid is more active in several districts of Khulna division with around 1200 trained militants. The outfit has several dens in the division and is recruiting fresh members under supervision of its 10 top ranking leaders.
Police have already extracted names of several leaders of Hizb-ut Towhid. They are Moulana Mahbub, in-charge of Kushtia and Chuadanga; Anisur Rahman, in-charge of Meherpur and Jhenidah and Mejbah Uddin, in-charge of Magura, sources said.
Baiyezid Khan Panni of Tangail is currently leading Hiizb-ut Towhid and considered as Imam to his followers. Panni has written several books to indoctrinate his followers and he also distributes leaflets to preach his followers.
According to police, during interrogation Hizb-ut Towhid men told them Bayezid Khan invited them to take preparation for a 'direct combat' against the man-made rules.
Police said a large number of members and leaders of the organisation are well- trained and motivated. In some areas, the outfit is reportedly operating under the cover of Tablig Jamaat. 
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