JMB chief's son arrested

Rab personnel yesterday arrested a son of detained Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Maulana Saidur Rahman and one of his accomplices from a village in Rajshahi.
Saidur's son Abu Talha Mohammad Fahim alias Bashar, 21, is the finance wing chief and also a Majlish-e-Sura member of the JMB, and his accomplice is identified as Mohammad Abdul Alim, 23, who is an Ehsar member of the banned Islamist outfit, Rab said.
Hailing from Khojargaon village under Bahubal upazila in Habiganj, Bashar and Alim of Ashulia Barapara village in Dhamrai of Manikganj were arrested from their hideout in Achintola Bahrampur village under Rajpara Police Station in Rajshahi in the early hours.
According to Rab officials, Bashar is a fugitive accused in an explosives case with the capital's Sabujbagh Police Station in 2009 while Alim is a fugitive convict in another explosives case with Manikganj police in 2005.
JMB chief Saidur Rahman was arrested along with one of his wives and three other top leaders of the JMB on May 25 last year in the capital. Saidur's another son, KHM Shamim, who was the chief of JMB's IT wing and elder brother of Bashar, was arrested in 2006.
Saidur took over as the JMB chief in February 2006, shortly after the arrest of Shaekh Abdur Rahman, the then JMB supremo.
After their arrest in Rajshahi, both Bashar and Alim were brought to Dhaka and a press briefing was held at the Rab headquarters in Uttara. Rab's Legal Wing Director Commander M Sohail said all the family members of Saidur were active leaders of the banned organisation.
Rab intelligence officials suspect that JMB militants might have links to the recent bomb blasts, he said.
Sohail said they were are also verifying whether the JMB militants were linked to the bombing on December 18 in the capital when BNP and Jamaat activists went on the rampage and charged bombs resulting in the death of a youth and injuries to several others.
The Rab officer said at present Sohel Mahfuz is operating as the JMB chief and he is leading the organisation staying on the other side of the border.
Asked, Sohail said activities of the JMB and other militant organisations are now very limited as Rab has already arrested 803 militant leaders and activists, including 557 of the JMB.