Meaning of BEM, weapons source still a mystery

Law enforcers are yet to discover what stands for BEM, a new organisation mentioned in books and documents seized during a raid on a militant den in Bogra on August 22, and the source of sophisticated weapons found there.
However, police seized 500 grammes of gunpowder, a pistol, three toy pistols, eight homemade bombs, a dagger, 15 masks and some books on Jihad from another Bogra house on Saturday.
The seizure was based on information gleaned from Rafiqul Islam Rubel, one of three suspected militant BEM members arrested during the August 22 raid at a house in Thonthonia Paschim Para.
During Saturday's drive at the Malgram Adarsha Para house, police arrested its owner, Rezaul Karim, and his son Yusuf but suspected BEM members managed to flee.
Rafiqul is the brother of one Sohel, involved with banned militant organisation Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) since 2006, said Bogra Superintendent of Police (SP) Mozammel Haque.
Rafiqul had tried to mislead law enforcers by pretending to be one Nahid and that he hailed from Dinajpur. He actually hails from Fulbaria in Mymensingh.
Police filed three cases under the explosives substances, arms and anti-terrorism acts with Bogra Sadar Police Station yesterday, reports our Bogra correspondent.
It was against the three arrested BEM members, Sanaullah Mollah of Shahjahanpur upazila in Bogra and Rafiqul and Barha Sheikh Babu of Gaibandha; Rezaul Karim; and four to five unidentified others.
Police are now interrogating the three, each placed on a 10-day remand on Saturday, in the case under the anti-terrorism act.
SP Mozammel said Sanaullah is probably the group's leader but he has kept mum.
“We are planning to send them to a Taskforce for Interrogation cell in Dhaka tomorrow for intensive grilling,” he told The Daily Star last night.
He said they had already found code names of around six more BEM activists and were verifying those.
Talking to Sanaullah's neighbours in Fulcoat village under Shajahanpur upazila, The Daily Star found that Sanaullah is a member of the youth wing of Ahale Hadith Andolan Bangladesh.
Many JMB members were from the organisation.
Sanaullah, who tried to mislead law enforcers by claiming to be one Firoz from Dinajpur, is also the founder and headmaster of a Qawmi madrasa at Durbadanga in Shajahanpur.
Rabbi, a student of the madrasa, said, “Huzur (Sanaullah) seldom visits the madrasa.” The madrasa has around 60 students studying in classes I to V.
Sanaullah married a second time following death of his first wife a few years back and is the father of two daughters and a son.