Four suspected members of the banned militant outfit Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) surrendered after Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) raided a house in Sirajganj’s Shahjadpur upazila on Friday morning.

The arrestees were identified as- Kiron alias Shamim alias Hamim, second-in-command of JMB's Pabna-Sirajganj zone, Naimul Islam from Pabna, Atiur Rahman alias Kalam Sainik from Dinajpur and Aminul Islam alias Shanto from Satkhira.

RAB also seized two foreign-made pistols, bomb-making materials and books promoting extremist ideology from the house.

Based on specific information provided by four other JMB men who were detained on Thursday from Rajshahi, RAB cordoned off the house in Ukilpara area suspecting it to be a militant hideout at 5:00 am on Friday. 

The JMB members surrendered around 10:30 am while RAB ended the drive around 11:15am.

RAB Additional Director General (Operations) Colonel Tofail Mostafa Sarwar confirmed the matter to Banglanews.

He said RAB arrested four members of JMB, including JMB Rajshahi’s Shah Makhdum unit chief Mahbub, from Rajshahi on Thursday. With information extracted from them, RAB identified the militant hideout in Sirajganj’s Shahjadpur upazila.
 
"The raid began around 5 am. Sensing the presence of law enforcers, occupants of the house fired 4-5 rounds of blank shots. RAB then asked the occupants to surrender over loudspeaker. Four militants came out of the house and surrendered around 10:30am," Tofail said.

"Later, a bomb disposal unit of RAB entered the house and seized two foreign-made pistols, gun powder, huge bomb making materials, machetes and books promoting extremism from the scene," he said.

"The surrendered men were JMB operatives. They rented the house some 20-25 days ago with a plan to hold training exercise there in guise of Tablighi Jamaat. They usually don't stay at one place more than two months," the RAB official added.

BDST: 1730 HRS, NOV 20, 2020
AP