Law enforcement agencies have detained a total of 43 people from five districts around the country including an Islami Chhatra Shibir leader from Bandarban - in connection with the killing of a monk - and 32 Jamaat-Shibir members on suspicion of involvement in militant activities.

Police detained these people in the last 24 hours since Wednesday noon, report our correspondents.  

Acting on a tip off, Nykkhongchhari police arrested Nurul Alam, president of Nykkhongchhari, Alikadom and Lama upazila unit of Shibir from Aziznagor area under Lama upazila on Tuesday, Anisur Rahman, Investigation Officer of the monk murder case in Bandarban said.

The IO added that police has found links between Shibir and the monk murder in their investigation.

Seventy-three year old U Damma was hacked to death on May 14 at his temple Chak Nirvana Bouddha Kyang in Baishari union under Nykkhongchhari upazilla of the district.

The monk's murder was similar to recent incidents of secret killings of people belonging to different faith and ideologies, Abul Khyer, officer-in-charge of Nykkhongchhari police station, said.

Rajshahi police said they arrested Akbar Ali, 53, member of the banned militant outfit JMB from his village home at Boro Bihanoli at 11:00am yesterday.  Ali donated funds to Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh chief Siddikul Islam alias Bangla Bhai in the past.

Local people said Akbar Ali owned a large brick kiln at Bhotkhali area in Bagmara and he also inherited a large property of some 50 bigha land. He used to donate funds to JMJB while the militant outfit unleashed a reign of terror at Bagmara upazila in 2004.

After JMJB and JMB were banned years ago, Akbar went into hiding causing the closure of his brick kiln.

He returned to the area after things quietened down and started a poultry farm. He got involved with JMB and recently engaged in reorganizing the outfits' members, the OC said.

He fled the area when the recent anti-militancy drive began, and police caught him acting on a tip off when he returned home, said Selim Hossain, OC of Bagmara police station.

In Sylhet, law enforcement agencies in a joint drive arrested 31 men and recovered 25 books on Jihad and a large number of sharp weapons from different areas of Zakiganj upazila in Sylhet yesterday morning.

Of the arrestees, 22 are Jamaat-Shibir activists, said Sugyan Chakma, Additional Superintendent of Sylhet district police. Police could not confirm identities of the other nine.

In Pabna, police arrested seven Jamaat-Shibir activists including a female activist of Jamaat with cocktails and Jihadi books from Chandaikona area of Raiganj upazila under Sirajganj district on Wednesday night.

The arrestees were holding 'secret meeting' for carrying out subversive activities, local police claimed.

They were sent to jail through court.

Of the arrestees Fahima Akter is the organizer of Mohila Jamaat in Chandaikona village while the six others are the members of Shibir, police said.

THREE FEMALE STUDENTS ARRESTED

Meanwhile, police arrested three female students of Comilla Victoria Government College for their suspected link to militancy activities early yesterday.

All three were members of Islami Chhatri Sangstha, female student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. Some Jihadi books were recovered from their room.

Abdullah Al Mamun, additional superintendent of police, Comilla, said police conducted a raid around 12:30am Wednesday on Nawab Foyzunnesa Dormitory of the college following information from the college authorities about suspicious movements and behaviours of some students.

(Our Sylhet, Pabna, Comilla and Bandarban correspondents contributed to the report.)