Police have started combing operations in Mirzapur, Sakhipur and Kaliakair forest areas in Tangail and Gazipur districts to find out JMB (Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh) dens and nab its activists. A top police official in Tangail on condition of anonymity told this correspondent yesterday that at least 100 'dedicated' JMB activists including some suicide squad members are hiding in forest areas in three upazilas of the two districts. JMB leader Enayetullah alias Jewel, arrested from Joydevpur upazila in Gazipur district with a huge quantity of bomb making materials few weeks back, had recruited a large number of activists from the areas, staying at a rented houses at Kalihati in Tangail, he added. Jewel hailed from Kotalipara upazila in Gopalgang district. Meanwhile the three JMB cadres arrested on Wednesday from Gazipur and Tangail districts along with two hand grenades and bomb making materials are being interrogated by Tangail police. They were placed on seven days' remand on Thursday. The three arrestees are Mahmudur Rahman alias Russel, 19, Jahirul Islam alias Jahir, 22, and Shahadat Hossen alias Imran, 19. They were arrested following confessional statements by JMB 'regional commander Akash, arrested from Tongi on Monday. The bomb making materials included including detonators and 33 lead splinters.
Police said they gave important information about JMB activities in the two districts. Quoting Jahir, police said he took part in the August 17 bomb blasts at Gazipur road-intersection. He also said the recovered grenades were produced at a local factory of JMB. Jahir further told that he joined JMB under the influence of one Nizam Uddin Reza, a charge sheeted accused in Gazipur bomb blast case, and became an 'Ehsar' of the banned militant Islamist outfit within a few days.
During this correspondent's visit on Thursday, locals said there were several training camps and dens of JMB at Asgana, Namasola, Ashulia, Bhati Khalpar, Media, Solai, Rashidpur, Mazidpur, Telina, Kanchanpur, and Taktarchala villages in Kaliakair, Mirzapur and Sakhipur upazilas. It was gathered that Russel, youngest of three brothers, joined JMB when he was a student of Kaliakaur Senior Fazil Madrasa. Russel's widowed mother Rahima Begum, 45, said, despite poverty, she was trying to educate her sons. Her husband died 10 years ago. Her two other sons are since Russel's arrest.
Kazi Akkas Ali, 55, Imam of Asgana Mosque also acknowledged that three might have been JMB activists in the area. Saiful Islam, 50, teacher of Hafizia Madrasa in the same village, was driven away from the village after villagers knew about his involvement with JMB, Akkas said. Saiful admitted many students, whom he might have trained, Akkas claimed.
Hossen Ali, 16, son of Mofazzal Hossen of Taktar Chala village under Sakhipur upazila, who had blasted bombs on Chittagong court premises killing a policeman and injuring many others also hailed from the area. Mirzapur and Sakhipur police so far arrested only eight JMB cadres from different areas of the upazilas. When contacted, Ashraful Alam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mirzapur thana however said they have launched a combing operation in forest and hills in the upazila to nab JMB cadres.