The most startling suspected Jamaat-militant link was unearthed at Khetlal of Joypurhat August 14, 2003. After an overnight gunfight at Jamaat activist Montejur Rahman's house, police arrested 39 suspected militants, 29 of whom confessed they were activists of Jamaat's student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS).

They said the ICS assigned them to work for Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), linked to militant Abdur Rahman.

Jamaat activist Montejar, whose residence the militants used as a training camp, however escaped arrest. Police found a list of Jamaat-ICS activists and different Jamaat publications from his house.

Jamaat, however, said it expelled Montejar two years before the incident. But police found from Montejar's diary that he had applied to become a Rukon, a midlevel position in Jamaat.

Police also recovered a letter written by the district Amir of Jamat to Montejar. Police seized some leaflets, letters and receipts of subscription of the Jihad Fund of the JMB. A significant number of persons who paid subscription to the fund were Jamaat members, local police told the press.

In August 2003, Sohel, a student of Sunamganj Government College was arrested for links with the JMB. His brother Selim made the following statement to the press on August 23: "Shibir [ICS] turned my brother into an ultra-religious man and forced him to work for Jama'atul Mijahideen [JMB]."

Local ICS president Abu Hanif, however, denied the link and said, "He might have worked for us previously but is no more a Shibir worker now."

Other than Jamaat, some leaders of the ruling BNP also supported the militants, specially Bangla Bhai and his group Jagrata Muslim Janata, Bangladesh (JMJB) in the northern districts. Bangla Bhai himself was an active member of the ICS until 1995.

When Bangla Bhai came into focus for his killings, a state minister, a deputy minister and a BNP lawmaker openly supported him and directed the local police to give Bangla Bhai shelter.

According to a retired intelligence boss, many ICS cadres took part in the Afghan war during the 1980s and on return still maintain a network with different Afghan Mujahideen groups.

Last November, three militants were arrested with 24 powerful gelatin bomb-sticks and 124 electronic detonators in Gaibandha from a Shantahar-bound train. All of them said they are ICS activists although Jamaat disowned them.

Afterward, five JMB activists were arrested while making time bombs at the residence of one Naimuddin Hazi, a Jamaat worker.

On May 23 last year, JMB members marched through Rajshahi town with police escort, in which local Jamaat leaders and activists participated.

After the grenade attack on British High Commissioner Anwar Choudhury at Hazrat Shahjalal Shrine in Sylhet on May 21 last year, Khelafat Majlish Amir Hahbibur Rahman called a press conference to dismiss reports of his link to the incident. Jamaat and Islami Oikya Jote leaders accompanied him to the press conference.

On April 12 last year, when police were preparing to arrest some 80 militants who took shelter in a mosque in Shibganj in Sylhet, city Jamaat Amir Dr Shafiqur Rahman refrained police from the action.

After his arrest in Debiganj in Panchgarh on February 23 last year, militant Azizul told police he was previously a member of the ICS and now a worker of the JMB.

Samiul Al Siju and Fazlul Haq, both JMB militants, admitted after their arrest in Gangachura area in Rangpur on February 23 that they were active workers of the ICS. But the assistant superintendent of police of Rangpur in his probe report on the attack on Brac office said the two are Rukans of Jammat.

On July 19 this year, police arrested 11 suspected Islamist militants including an adherent of Bangla Bhai and two Rajshahi University (RU) students at their training camp at a newly constructed house at Puthiapara in Paba upazila. The team leader, Enamul, was an ICS member before he joined the JMJB nearly a year ago. The RU students, Golam Mustafa and Ibrahim Hossain, claimed they 'support' the ICS.

On June 1, 2004 Atrai police arrested the second-in-command of Bangla Bhai, Hemayat Hossain Himu, and released him the same night. Himu's brother Belayat Hossain met a state minister at the Circuit House before the release.

On July 2004, three cadres of Bangla Bhai were arrested at a hotel at Iswardi but later released.

OC Azimuddin said, "We released them following a BNP leader's recommendation."

General Secretary of Iswardi unit of BNP Habibur Rahman Tota said, "The arrestees are our men, not cadres of any organisation. I arranged their release following an order of Deputy Minister Ruhul Quddus Talukdar Dulu."

JAMAAT DENIAL
Whenever any militant claims link to Jamaat, the party holds press conferences or issues statements to disclaim such connections.

On August 20, Jamaat Aimr Moulana Matiur Rahman Nizami at a press conference said his party has no connection with militants. He said Jamaat does not believe in extremism and that such links are cooked up to malign the party.