13 suspected militants held

Thirteen suspected militants, arrested from Kalikapur area in Patuakhali town yesterday, line up on the premises of Sadar Police station.Photo: STAR

Police arrested 13 suspected militants from the Kalikapur area in the district town yesterday noon.
The arrestees were identified as Md. Yunus of Bakergonj upazila in Barisal, Mamun of Barisal, Maulana Golam Ambia, Maulana Motiur Rahman and Osman Goni of Sirajganj, Moazzem Ali of Comilla, Nabi Hossain of Keraniganj in Dhaka, Hafez Abdul Awal of Sumanganj, Arukha of Naogaon, Abbas Hossain of Muladi and Golam Morshed of Ujirpur in Barisal, Sahiduzzaman of Madaripur district and Atikuzzaman of Firmgate area in Dhaka.
Police seized a microbus and recovered four sets of walkie-takies and belts and shoes used by policemen from their possession.
The arrestees claimed themselves as the followers of the pir of Babajan Kutubnagh Darbar Sharif at Firmgate in Dhaka.
They came to the area for what they said to motivate local people and spread the message of their pir in the area.
When they reached Town Kalikapur area locals became suspicious of their activities after seeing walkie-talkies in their hands and informed the police.
A police team from Patuakhali police station went to the spot and arrested them.
We are interrogating them to find their real identities, said Md. Monirul Islam, OC of Patuakhali police station.
In Chapainawabganj, police arrested a member of Islamist outfit Hizbut Tawhid from the bus terminal area in the town yesterday.
The arrestee was identified as Azizul Haque, 20, son of Haibat Ali of Sindurkouta village under Gangni upazila in Meherpur, reports our correspondent.
Acting on a tip-off, a police team arrested Azizul at around 10:00am while he was distributing leaflets at the bus terminal.
The low enforcers also recovered books and leaflets from the Hizbut man, said SI Aminul Islam of Sadar model police station.