Some put their number as high as 20.

Local people and senior police officials say the activities of JMJB operations commander Bangla Bhai bear strong resemblance to those by al-Qaeda.

Video discs that the JMJB recruits were given for training contain recorded speeches of Laden and footage on warfare training at al Farooque camp in Afghanistan. The Daily Star obtained a disc titled "The Solution, The Preparation" -- recorded in the once Taliban-ruled southwestern Asian country.

Our correspondents in Bogra and Rajshahi report 44 Bangladeshis once served Laden in Afghanistan, many of them as bodyguards. The present whereabouts of these Afghan returnees are mostly unknown.

Twenty of them reportedly returned home and are suspected to be members of the JMJB Majlish-e-Shura, the militant outfit's highest decision-making body.

"They are now working with Bangla Bhai to eliminate outlaws in Atrai, Raninagar in Naogaon, Bagmara in Rajshahi and Naldanga and Singra in Natore," a JMJB operative said, asking not to be named.

One such Laden's aide is Abdur Rahman, popularly known as Shai Bhai, commander of the JMJB camp in Vitigram under Raninagar.

The JMJB opened 10 camps in Bagmara, Durgapur, Atrai and Naldanga in its intense hunt for outlaws, with more such camps to be set up in Bogra.

The operations style of JMJB changed after the picture of a hanged man triggered sharp reactions across the country last week. Sources say police officials also suggested that the JMJB change its operations style.

Some of the al-Qaeda trained JMJB leaders now plan to take action against seven leftist extremists in secret, as the group suspended its anti-outlaw overt drive. The JMJB operatives will now go raiding the houses of suspected outlaws, capturing and handing them over to the police.

At least eight people with suspected ties to the banned Purbo Banglar Communist Party have been killed since the JMJB launched its anti-outlaw operation on April 1. The killings prompted the underground men to fight back and slaughter four alleged adherents of Bangla Bhai.

The JMJB is allegedly demanding part of the crops in the northwest as religious contribution to raising fund for the organisation and up to Tk 2,000 in cash from ordinary farmers, locals alleged.

Our staff correspondent reports from Rajshahi that people in Bagmara, where the JMJB unleashed a reign of terror, believe Bangla Bhai has links to al-Qaeda.

People in Bagmara call JMJB men al-Qaeda remnants. "Their oft-repeated talk about Laden and al-Qaeda made us believe they are al-Qaeda members," a resident said.

VIDEO PILFERAGE

The 50-minute video disc was screened for new JMJB members to watch at Razakar Ramjan Kaya training camp in Bagmara.

"Bangla Bhai showed his new recruits video footage on warfare training in Afghanistan and mobilised support for an Islamic movement," a senior police official said.

Anwar Hossain, a JMJB member, went missing after the disc was stolen from the camp in the first week of May. JMJB sources say Anwar was killed as punishment for stealing the disc.