3 suspected LeT men remanded

Suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders -- Shahidul Islam, 2nd from left, next to him Mufti Harun Izahar and Al Amin -- are taken to a Dhaka court yesterday in connection with links to a plot to attack the US embassy. Photo: STARStaff Correspondent

Three suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders, arrested with links to a plot to attack the US embassy in Dhaka, were placed on a two-day remand yesterday.

The Detective Branch of police produced Mufti Harun Izahar, son of Islami Oikya Jote leader Mufti Izaharul Islam, Shahidul Islam and Al Amin alias Saiful before the metropolitan magistrate's court seeking their 10-day remand, said Sanwar Hossain, Assistant Commissioner of DB.

He said the arrestees needed to be remanded for obtaining crucial information about the plot, their network and the people involved in it.

Detectives arrested the three at Jameyatul Ulum Madrasa on a hill at Lalkhan Bazar in Chittagong on Wednesday night. They were brought to Dhaka Thursday night.

Lashkar-e-Taiba works for banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji).

Meanwhile, Izaharul Islam, chairman of an IOJ faction, protested the arrest of his son Harun Izahar and the two others denying their involvement with LeT or Huji.

Izaharul, also founder of the madrasa, said his son Harun established Al Iman Academy, an Islamic kindergarten, at South Khulshi in the port city.

He said the two other arrestees are former students of the madrasa and now work as teachers at his son's school.

DB officials said Izahar, along with another suspect, did recce of the US embassy area several times to devise an attack plan. They also detected several calls the three made to several Pakistani militant leaders.

Pakistani national Abdur Rahman, detained in his home country this week with links to militancy, transferred money to the bank account of Mufti Harun's brother Faizur Rahman, said DB sources.

Izaharul told The Daily Star that both the madrasa and school receive donations from sources at home and abroad.

Asked about the money sent from Pakistan, the IOJ leader said he was unaware of the matter.