Superintendent of Police (SP) in Satkhira Abdur Rahim yesterday told reporters that JMB had executed the almost synchronised blasts to free Ahle Hadith Chief Dr Galib, who had been arrested for alleged links to Bogra bombing.

SATKHIRA: NASIR AND MUNNA
Our Satkhira Correspondent reports: Nasir Uddin, 45, and Maniruzzaman Munna, 35, were held three hours into the bombings.

Nasir, a farmer, and Munna, owner of a signboard shop, claimed themselves to be members of Jama'atul Mujahideen, and told police that they detonated bombs in two spots in the town Wednesday morning.

Police in plain clothes arrested Nasir at his Bakal Islampur house at about 1:30am after a tip-off by a local rickshawpuller. "The rickshawpuller said to have seen him carrying the bag that exploded shortly after he had dumped it near women and children's court [Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal]," said an official of Satkhira Sadar police.

Following leads obtained from Nasir, police arrested Munna at his house in Itagacha area of the town.

Munna told police that on August 15, Nayeem called him on his cellphone, saying he [Munna] has to do a 'dawati job'.

Nayeem called him again on August 17 at 8:00am and asked him to meet him in a lane behind the women and children's court, police told reporters quoting Munna.

Munna, who also took Nasir with him, found an unknown man with two bags waiting for them. The man asked Munna to leave the bag in the court building after switching on the timer of the bomb. But he refused to do the job, as he feared police might identify him easily.

So, Nasir took the bomb to the courthouse while Munna carried the other bag to Hospital-er More in the town.

Police also picked up Anisur Rahman Khokan, 50, also a signboard shop owner, yesterday morning on suspicion of having involvement in the bombings.

Meanwhile, SP Abdur Rahim told reporters that they have been confirmed that the JMB cadres had unleashed the countrywide serial blasts. The arrestees also said Ahle Hadith Chief Dr Galib is their leader. "They ran the attacks to get their leader freed," the SP said yesterday.

Satkhira police produced the two before a court, seeking 10 days' remand for each, but Magistrate Saidur Rahman granted eight days'.

Sources said the two would soon be taken to Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) for questioning.

DHAKA
Ramna police arrested Ruhul Amin Bachchu on a pavement between Hotel Sonargaon and Bangla Motors when a bomb inside the packet he was carrying exploded in his hands at 11:15am Wednesday.

Detective Branch (DB) of police took him for questioning after treatment at Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

Sources in the police said Ruhul had confessed to having made the attack but Shahidul Islam, deputy commissioner of DB, denied the claim.

On his confession, DB took the arrestee to the spot and several other places to learn more about the blasts. But the DC told The Daily Star last evening, "He is yet to admit the crime."

Ruhul, however, claimed himself to be a labourer and said he had come across the packet on the pavement and right after picking it up, a bomb went off in his hands.

He was taken on a five-day remand yesterday.

Meanwhile, our Kushtia correspondent adds: Shamsul Alam, another JMB activist arrested in connection with Wednesday's countrywide explosions, had admitted his involvement in the blasts.

Law enforcers, however, were tight-lipped about the information extracted from Alam, arrested Wednesday in Kushtia town.

Police said Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) nabbed him from Chourhas area soon after the blasts.

Alam told the local police that he was involved in the bombing in his region. He was sent to Dhaka yesterday for quizzing by the JIC.

Our Kushtia correspondent gathered that Alam hails from Kishorinagar under Daulatpur upazila and is a regional leader of the JMB.

According to the locals, he got military training from JMB leader Bangla Bhai in Natore three years ago. After the training, he had returned to his village and dedicated himself to organising the militant outfit, which now has at least 100 activists across the district.

Alam had passed Alim exams in 2000 and Fazil in 2002 and joined local Shehala Dakhil Madrasha as an assistant teacher. While a student of madrasa, he was involved with Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of ruling Jamaat-e-Islami.