Police yesterday also arrested two members of the newly found offshoot of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), 12 Group, thought to be the mastermind behind the August 17 blasts, following confession of the security officer, Abu Taleb Bulbul Ansari.

Meantime, the banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Janajuddha yesterday jointly threatened to kill the judge of the Money Loan Court, Pabna.

The law enforcers in Khulna have started a combing operation in the Sundarbans to hunt for and dismantle militant dens.

Five more JMB activists were arrested in Thakurgaon and Netrakona yesterday and on Thursday for their suspected links to the JMB.

SECURITY OFFICIAL REMANDED
Detective Branch (DB) of police in Dhaka has started quizzing Abu Taleb alias Babul Ansari, assistant security officer of the parliament secretariat, who was arrested in Dhaka on Monday.

Police nabbed Taleb at his Green Road Staff Quarters house after the arrest of a JMB activist in Jessore. The arrestee had told a magistrate Taleb was the mastermind behind the blasts in Jessore, said a top DB official.

Parliament secretariat authorities on Tuesday suspended him for his alleged links to militants.

Sources said intelligence men had watched him for 15 days after the Jessore SP sent a letter to Dhaka Metropolitan Police asking them to arrest Taleb. The SP sent the letter following confessional statement of the arrestee in Jessore.

The detectives on Thursday produced Taleb before a Dhaka court, which remanded him for seven days.

"We are certain about his links to the JMB. We are now trying to find out information about the outfit's network," said DB Additional Deputy Commissioner Shafiqul Islam.

Ranu Ansari, Taleb's wife, has however claimed her husband is 'innocent.'

She told reporters the DB called her husband out of their house at around 2:00am on Monday. She went to the DB office the next day to meet him, but she was not allowed, Ranu alleged.

Police sources quoting Ranu said Taleb used to visit his Gaibandha house in the first week of every month.

The sources said she could not say what type of people used to visit their house as she was never allowed to appear before visitors.

Meanwhile, detectives arrested two more JMB leaders--Giasuddin Azad, 32, of Chandpur, and Mizanur Rahman Badsha, 22, of Kushtia--in Shewrapara in the capital last night following Taleb's statement.

Detectives were raiding different places outside the capital with the arrestees, said a top DB official asking not to be identified.

The official also said the arrestees are members of one "12 Group", an organised team which was assigned to carry out bombings at some places on August 17.

Taleb hailed from Bridge Road in Gaibandha and did his master's in political science from Dhaka University.

JUDGE THREATENED
The law enforcers have been put on high alert at every strategic point in Pabna after Judge Mafizul Islam received the threat, sources said.

Judge Mafizul Islam admitted to have received a hand-written letter, in which the banned outfits issued the threat to kill him with his family and to blow up the court by suicide squads, reports BDNEWS.

The superintendent of police (SP) of the district said the threat had been made and that they have strengthened security measures at the judge's court, residences of the judges and the deputy commissioner (DC) and other offices. Important government and non-government establishments have also been under special watch.

Referring to the August 17 serial blasts, the letter said, "The corrupt Money Loan Court, banks, NGOs and the House Building Finance Corporation bankrup innocent people."

Earlier, militants also threatened to blow up the local press club and eight other important establishments.

KHULNA
Fresh combing operation has been launched in the Sundarbans in search of militants' dens and training camps following information confessed by an arrestee, reports our Khulna staff correspondent.

The move came following a dramatic turn in the investigation into the August 17 blasts in Khulna and Bagerhat, as police got information about such dens and camps run by the JMB.

Police sources said JMB cadres including Shahidullah alias Lokman have given important information during interrogation about underground activities in the remote areas in the Sundarbans.

It is difficult to locate these dens as most of them are situated within 100 kilometres of South Talpatty Island near Indian border, said unconfirmed sources.

The sources said most of the coastal belt including South Talpatty Island is the safest hideout for pirates and other criminals. These criminals can easily escape arrest as these remote areas are close to Indian borders.

"We cannot rule out the possibility of a close link between Islamist extremists and terrorists of the Sundarbans," said a senior police officer of Khulna confirming the ongoing crackdown.

The Raimangol, Malancha, Arhpangashia, Ilshemari, Andharmanik, Kalabogi, Satmukha and Agunjali rivers of the entire Sundarbans are the safest routes for movement of criminals of both the countries, said a highly placed source of the western wing of Sundarbans Forest Division (SFD).

The source expressed his grave concern over high security risk in the remote areas in the world's largest mangrove forest.

"Our forces are not enough to enter the inaccessible areas of the Sundarbans. Yet, we have taken the high risk to locate the militants' dens, if any," said a high official of Bagerhat district police.

MORE ARRESTS
Our Netrakona correspondent reports: Police on Thursday night arrested a JMB activist, who admitted to his involvement in the August 17 blasts in the district.

The arrestee is Sana Ullah, 25, son of Maulana Abdul Quddus of Maowa village in Gouripur in Mymensingh.

Police force from Netrakona and Gouripur nabbed Sana at his village home.

The officer-in-charge of Netrakona Police Station told the press Sana is an active JMB member, who blasted six bombs.

Meantime, Netrakona police released a JMB suspect, Maulana Abdur Rahman, yesterday after picking him up from his Sreepur Bali Madrasa on Thursday night.

Police claimed they had quizzed him for several hours and released him finding no clue to his involvement in the blasts.

Besides, police on Thursday arrested Motiar Rahman, son of Abdul Latif, at his Ratnai Kashidanga house in Baliadangi upazila in Thakurgaon suspecting his link to the JMB, BDNEWS adds.

Earlier, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) detained Asadullah, an assistant teacher of Battali Shah Majidia Nurani Madrasa in Lohagara upazila in Chittagong, on Thursday night in connection with the October 3 bomb attacks on two courts.

The Rab following his statement nabbed two others -- Abu Sadat Sayem alias Sayem Chowdhury in Rumaliachhara in Cox's Bazar and Abu Raihan in Feni -- the same night.

Rab sources said all the arrestees are members of the JMB's hit-group, reports UNB.

The Rab said Asadullah, a member of law formulation section of Nezam-e-Islam party, was engaged in militancy along with teaching for the last three years.

Sayem was imparting training to militants for the last two years after launching an institution named 'Cox's Bazar Saikat Beyamagar'.