Balla, Rampur, Mominnagar, Somjani, Belabari, Tenguria, Dorikhashila and Kazibari villages are known as Ahle Hadith dominated areas and JMB started its activities there in a covert way five years ago in the guise of running welfare bodies and libraries.

Local people and sources in Tangail police said yesterday they knew nothing about JMB activities, recruitment of youths and arms training until DB police from Dhaka arrested JMB suicide bomber Faisal Ahmed, who blasted bombs near Rajarbagh police line in the Capital on August 17. He was arrested from Tenguria village in Balla union in Kalihati upazila on September 16.

This correspondent during a visit to the areas yesterday found most villagers panicked, fearing police action and retaliation by diehard JMB cadres.

They said several hundred youths aged between 15 and 30 have fled homes after the August 17 serial bombing across the country. Many of them are innocent but fleeing homes to avoid alleged harassment by police.

It was gathered that out of over 200 recruits, around 50 'dedicated' activists, recruited from very poor families, were given Tk 4000 per month. The allowance was stopped after the August 17 incident, two recipients from their hideouts said seeking anonymity.

They said they were misled in the name of Islam and lured with money.

Police so far arrested only four militants including two suicidal squad members Monwar and Faisal. Rest of 'listed JMB cadres' from the areas are absconding. Sources claimed that they have fanned out across the country to 'carry out responsibilities'.

Top JMB cadres from the area --Shoeb and Russel are still evading arrest.

In the meantime, many people having previous rivalry are blaming each other accusing them of being JMB activists. They have hung 'fake' lists of JMB cadres at markets, schools and colleges, fomenting rivalry among villagers. Taking the advantage, police are harassing innocent people, the villagers said.

According to police, JMB had started its militant activities setting up an Islamic Social Welfare Library at Rampur Bazar in the area five years ago. JMB held five meetings at Balla in August 2004 at the house of Shoeb, who was in-charge of the militant organisation in Kalihati upazila. Each of the meetings was attended by 25 to 30 JMB activists including three leaders -- Shoeb, his cousin Russel and Enayetullah alias Jewel.

JMB chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman and his brother Ataur Rahman Sunny, its 'operations commander', used to visit the areas, sources said.

After recruiting members from Balla, Rampur and adjacent areas, JMB trained them in Kalian forest area between Kalihati and Shakhipur upazilas.

On November 17, 2004 at least 70 JMB activists from adjacent areas reached Kalian in several engine boats. They were trained there by Sunny, it was revealed by police.

Earlier, acting on a confessional statement of JMB activist Delwar Hossen, arrested from Delduar upazila on August 28, police raided a house of Sirajul Islam at Betdoba in Kalihati upazila Sadar on September 1 and recovered a bomb and a huge quantity of bomb- making materials including gunpowder, pencil battery and electric wire.

Delwar Hossen had told Tangail police that Sirajul Islam's house was used for making bombs for long. It was rented by Jewel, arrested with bomb-making materials from Joydevpur in Gazipur, and his brother-in-law Shoeb of Balla in Kalihati.

Sub-inspector (SI) Habibullah of Kalihati thana on September 1 submitted charge sheet in the Kalihati bomb recovery case, accusing six persons including Jewel and Shoeb before a First Class Magistrate court in Tangail.

Locals in Balla said Shoeb, his cousin Russel and their families are absconding since August 17.

Jewel, hailing from Kotalipara of Gopalganj district, had recruited JMB activists, staying at the house of Shoeb.