Law enforcers have launched a manhunt for former Jamaat-e-Islami leader Moulana Saidur Rahman, who has reportedly taken over as chief of outlawed Jamaatul Mujahideen, Bangladesh (JMB).
Saidur Rahman is absconding since the arrest of JMB chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman in Sylhet city last year.
Sources in Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) claimed that Saidur Rahman is conducting activities of JMB since the arrest and hanging of its kingpins Shaikh Abdur Rahman and Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai.
A court in Sylhet tried him in absentia and early this month gave him 14 years rigorious imprisonment in an explosive case.
A Sylhet-based cable TV network-Sylhet Cable System--aired a message for three days till Friday, urging people to help law enforcers arrest Saidur Rahman alias Abu Zafar.
In the message, people were requested to inform Rab-9 headquarters in Sylhet if any one knows whereabouts of Saidur. The message also said any body helping law enforcers in arresting Saidur will be rewarded.
Sources said, Moulana Saidur Rahman took the charge of the Islamist outlawed group after the arrest and hanging of Shaikh Abdur Rahman and Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai.
Saidur, a former Amir of Habiganj district Jamat-e-Islami, was in Sylhet city and running JMB activities till the arrest of Shaikh Abdur Rahman on the morning of March 2 last year from a house in the city's Shaplabag area.
As Rahman was caught along with his family and some close aides, Saidur left the city within hours and is still untraced. A number of attempts by law enforcers to nab went in vain.
Just hours into Shaikh Abdur Rahjman's arrest, law enforcers detected another den at a tin shed house at Hatimbag (91/B) area near Shaplabag and recovered a huge quantity of explosives and bomb making materials.
The raid was done on confessions of Abdur Rahman's bodyguard Abdul Aziz alias Hanif, arrested along with Abdur Rahman.
Hanif in his confession said Moulana Saidur rented the house on Febnruary 15 last year for JMB organiational work.
Since then, law enforcers raided several places including Saidur's village home in Bahubal and his rented house in Habiganj town several times.
Saidur also ran an account with Islami Bank at its Laldighirpar branch in Sykhet city to meet party expenditures, the sources said.
This was detected after law enforcers recovered some cheques during the raid on Shaplabag.
Sylhet Divisional Speedy Tribunal Judge on September 12 gave Abdul Aziz Hanif and Moulana Saidur Raman 14 years RI in the explosives case.
Moulana Saidur was the Amir of Habiganj Jamat, but was expelled.
Hailing from Khozargaon village under Bhadeshwar union in Bahubal upazila of Habiganj district, Saidur used to reside at Rail Colony in Habiganj town.
Detective Branch of police caught Saidur's son Shamim following the August 17 serial blasts across the country in 2005.
Sources in Rab seeking anonymity said after arrest and hanging of the JMB kingpins, Delwar Hossain of Nakla upazila in Sherpur is in charge of JMB in Sylhet district.
Obaidullah and Nizam of Bogra is in charge Moulvibazar and Habiganj districts and Bilal of Naogaon is commander of the outlawed Islamist outfit in Sunamganj.
The four led 30 JMB cadres who were responsible for blasting bombs at 38 points in greater Sylhet region on August 17, 2005. None of the four top JMB militants has yet been arrested despite several raids by law enforcers at different places in Sylhet region and other areas.