Kochua police, acting on a tip-off, arrested 12 more suspected militants belonging to Hizbut Tawhid from the town and Sachar Friday night. Of them, three were nabbed from houses in Kochua fire service area and nine from Sachar, Police Superintendent Obaidur Rahman Khan said.He said at least 15 suspected militants escaped the police raids. Police have launched operations in different areas of the district to arrest them, he said. He said 39 activists of Hizbut Tawhid led by Nahid came to Kochna from Uttara, Dhaka to spread religious militancy among people. Another team of the same organisation came to Matlab recently to distribute handbills, leaflets and CD. But they are yet to be traced, the police superintendent said.
On Friday, police raided some areas of Kochua Pourasabha and adjacent villages and arrested 12 suspected militants of the organisation. All the arrested 24 suspected militants aged between 18 and 54 were produced before the judicial magistrate court here at about 4:30 pm yesterday. Judge Rezaul Karim rejected their bail petition and ordered police to submit their enquiry reports against all the accused within 15 days.
The 24 are Ismail Hossain Akash of Barisal Sadar, Jamal Uddin Rubel of Feni, Masudur Rahman of Dhaka, Hafibur Rahman of Brahmanbaria, Robiul Hoq of Bagerhat, Babul Mia of Mirpur in Dhaka, Abdur Raquib of Rajbari, Shahin Mahmud of Tangail, Kamrul Islam of Babuganj in Barisal, Md Shahin of Munshiganj, Md Jashimuddin of Kishoreganj, Al Amin of Bhola Sadar, Rajir of South Badda in Dhaka, Monwar Hossain of Tangail and Mostafa Talukder of Tangail.