Meanwhile, three JMB operatives arrested in Panchagarh Saturday were remanded yesterday.

Senior Assistant Judge of Jhalakathi MA Awal, who avoided being another casualty in the November 14 suicide bomb attack, received a letter containing the threat yesterday, UNB reports. The blast left his colleagues Sohel Ahmed and Jagannath Pandey dead and three others injured.

Badshah Mia using the address 14, College Road, Rajshahi sent the letter to the already perturbed judge.

The letter accused Awal of 'committing acts of injustice and indulging in wrongful activities'. It was posted from the secretariat post office in Dhaka two days after the killing of two judges.

Terrified on receipt of the letter, the judge immediately informed the district and sessions judge of the matter and sent copies [of the letter] to the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police.

CHITTAGONG
An anonymous caller identifying himself as a JMB activist yesterday threatened to blow up the Chittagong Railway Station, reports our Chittagong correspondent.

Station Manager Shafiuddin Ahmed the same day filed a general diary (GD) with Government Railway Police in this connection.

"Following the GD, we have deployed additional forces in and around the station," said ATM Shahidul Islam, officer-in-charge of GRP in Chittagong station, yesterday afternoon.

Station sources said Shafiuddin received the first call at around 12.25pm yesterday.

"We are bona fide JMB cadres. You will not be able to save the railway station with the help of Rab or police. We are going to blow it up soon," the caller was quoted as saying.

Later, the same caller phoned the reservation counter and the office of Subarna Express and made similar threats.

CTG JUDGE THREATENED
A man identifying himself as a JMB cadre yesterday asked Senior Assistant Judge Umme Kulsum to conduct trials under Islamic laws, reports UNB.

“Otherwise, action will be taken against you,” a source quoted the caller as saying.

Judge Umme Kulsum has informed the Judicial Service Association of the threat.

In response to the developments, the number of police on and around Chittagong court premises was raised to four platoons from three.

Sources said police officials will sit down with the judges of Chittagong courts tomorrow to discuss the security arrangements for the judiciary.

ABDUR RAHMAN IN PANCHAGARH?
Acting on information from Rab Headquarters in Dhaka that JMB chief Abdur Rahman might be holed up somewhere in Panchagarh town or adjacent areas, police yesterday combed the northern district yesterday but to no effect, reports our Panchagarh correspondent.

Teams of Ansar, DB and Special Branch also took part in the raids alongside 12 police teams.

A source in the Detective Branch (DB) of police said they began the operation on learning that Abdur Rahman, suspected to be down with heart condition, was hiding in Panchagarh.

Earlier he was believed to be hiding in the capital's Banasree area.

Rahman's son-in-law and a member of JMB Majlish-e-Sura, Abdul Awal was arrested in Thakurgaon in fact while he was on his way to see ailing Rahman, said the source.

After Awal's arrest, police arrested JMB suicide squad member Tanviruzzaman alias Salman alias Murad, Shafiqul and Ashjad alias Awkat.

Before his arrest, Awal met Tanvir twice in the Friday morning. But Tanvir failed to say what Awal was doing for the rest of the time. Police believe he passed the time with his father-in law.

Although Panchagarh superintendent of police brushed aside the idea, police are carrying out routine raids following directions from higher authorities that Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai are hiding somewhere in the northern districts.

Meanwhile, a case was filed under Explosive Substances Act against Abdul Awal, Tanviruzzaman, Shafiqul and Ashjad Saturday.

The First Class Magistrate's Court in Panchagarh placed the three on a seven-day remand each.

Awal was brought to the capital yesterday for interrogation by experts at the joint interrogation cell, UNB reports.

LANDLADY HELD
Nurjahan Begum picked up by Rab from her South Banasree house Saturday for sheltering JMB Chief Abdur Rahman was shown arrested yesterday.

Wife of Noor Mohammad Dewan, who is now staying in Saudi Arabia, Nurjahan was first held for concealing facts.

The Rab raided her three-storey building in 'K' block in the early hours Saturday, following up leads obtained from Abdul Awal that militant kingpin Rahman was hiding there.

But the JMB chief left the house before the Rab men could reach there. Nurjahan told police that Rahman had been staying in the house with his wife, son Nabil and daughter Asifa.

Rahman had introduced himself as an acquaintance of Nurjahan's husband and hired the southern unit on the first floor for Tk 3,500 a month. Rahman family moved to the flat on August 16, a day before the countrywide bomb attacks.

Nurjahan said Rahman and his family would hardly come out of their apartment.

Rab sealed off all the eight flats of the house.

Nurjahan was handed over to Khilgaon police yesterday.

Asifa, wife of arrested JMB leader Awal, is a teacher of a women's madrasa in Bogra.

PABNA
Our Pabna correspondent reports: Police arrested nine JMB activists including four women in Santhia and Bhangura upazila in last two days.

Abdul Majid, 22, and his wife Mariam, 20, of Shafipur upazila and Morshed Ali, 22, and his wife Asma, 18, of Charfashion of the coastal district of Bhola, Yusuf Ahmed and his wife Ayesha Begum of Sunamganj district and Hafez Abdullah Sikder and his wife Taslima Begum of Bhola were among the arrestees.

During the raid, police also recovered some bomb-making materials and Islami books.

Locals alleged that the arrestees, who had been staying in the upazilas for the last few months, have been trying to brainwash the people into joining the 'jihad' in the name of invitation to 'Kalema'.

The JMB men told the police that Abdul Mazid, a teacher of Charfashion College, is their religious leader.

The arrestees will be sent to the Pabna court today, police added.

JESSORE
Our Jessore correspondent adds: Three suspected JMB men were arrested in a club room at Bharo Bhaina village of Keshabpur upazila in the district on Saturday night.

The arrestees are Shahabuddin, 17, of Bagerhat, Mohibullah, 17 and Mahmud Hasan, 22, of Pirojpur.

SATKHIRA
Our Satkhira correspondent reports: Over 150 suspected JMB activists who fled the area shortly after the August 17 bomb blasts in the district, seem to have regrouped, taking advantage of the slackness of the law enforcers.

Sources said the failure of police to arrest the militant leaders who recruit and train the youths under the umbrella of JMB has helped militants raise their head again.

The JMB men in trousers and shirt instead of pyajamas-panjabi and cap have recently started to move freely in the locality.