4 including 2 foreign nationals arrested

Four more people including two foreign nationals were arrested yesterday from a madrassah at Mollartek of Dakkin Khan under Uttara thana in the city for their alleged link with Harkut-Uz-Jihad, an Islamic extremist group.

Two of them were identified as Baktiur and Abul Kalam while details about one South African and one Pakistani could not be known.

Police seized 'important' documents from their possession.

Members of the National Security Intelligence, DB and CID raided the madrassah at Mollartek yesterday morning.

Meanwhile, the Joint Investigation Cell (JIC) yesterday instructed the three-member team that went to Chittagong to stay there for further investigation.

CID sources in Dhaka said they have received 'important' information regarding activities of Harkut-Uz-Jihad in Chittagong.

"We have got a list of extremist leaders", the sources said without disclosing their identity.

Our Staff Correspondent in Chittagong quoting police said the CID team yesterday raided the Lalkhan Bazar 'Khariji' madrassah.

The team was aided by local CID officials and Doublemooring thana police during the raid at around noon.

But nothing 'significant' was seized during the operation, police said. The team was scheduled to return to Dhaka yesterday.

The team led by CID (Dhaka Zone) ASP Munshi Atiqur Rahman conducted the raid during which it also interrogated some students and teachers of the madrassah reportedly run by Harkut-Uz-Jihad.

The team seized the institution's budget document for 1997-98 having an estimate of Tk 31,26,981 as income and Tk 34,15,076 as expenditure. The madrassah's total budget for 1998-99 is Tk 51.85 lakh.

ASP Kadir Khan of CID (Chittagong Zone) told APB that no arms and ammunitions were recovered and none was arrested during the raid.

Some teachers and students of the madrassah said that Mufti Mohammad Ijharul Islam, its Superintendent, was away on a tour in the Middle East for fund raising.

Meanwhile, nine persons arrested in connection with the attempt to kill poet Shamsur Rahman at his Shymoli residence on January 18, were produced in the court yesterday. CID sought fresh remand for seven more days. The CMM's Court, however, granted five days' police remand for further investigation.

An official of the CID told BSS that they have sent necessary papers to Barisal police through the CMM, Dhaka, for shifting Rinku, a co-accused arrested in connection with the case.