Law enforcers have rounded up three members of a hitherto unknown alleged Islamist militant group from the northern district township of Bogra on Thursday in a nightlong drive.
Rapid Action Battalion in a press briefing on Friday morning made the disclosure that the new group, which called itself “BEM,” had been planning subversive activities in the area.
Jamil Ahmed, company commanding officer (CO) of Rab 12, told reporters that the group had close structural and ideological resemblances with the outlawed Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). He said Rab recovered at least 80 rounds of live bullets, one SMG, one LMG, one pistol and several sharp weapons from a house in Thanthania area in Bogra town.
He also said the arrestees, namely Firoz Alam, Md Nahid and Barha Mohmmad Babu, had come from Dinajpur, Gaibandha and Dhaka to train on using modern firearms and ammunition. When they were arrested, the trio had been getting trained to draw maps in military style, he said.
The Rab CO, who could not immediately give the elaboration of “BEM,” said the group believed in the ideologies of JMB. Rab officer Abu Sayeed, who led the Thursday night drive, said BEM had set up a number of wings, including communication and inventory, to conduct organisational activities in the area.
UNB adds: While briefing reporters at the press conference, director of legal and media wing of Rab-12 ATM Habibur Rahman said some 21 activists of BEM rented the house of Dulal at Thanthania Dakkinpara on August 19.
They stockpiled heavy weapons there in a bid to carry out massive subversive activities.
Being tipped off, a Rab team conducted a drive from Thursday afternoon and arrested the three. However, the 18 others BEM activists managed to flee from the scene.
During the drive, the crime busters seized an SMG, an LMG, foreign pistols, 80 bullets, magazines and documents of the outfit from their flat.
During interrogation, the arrested confessed that militant outfit JMB is now operating under new platform BEM.
However, they did not elaborate on the abbreviation of BEM.
Habibur Rahman said they were trying to find out the financers of the banned organisation.
A case was filed with Bogra Sadar Police Station against them.
