Police arrested four suspected members of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) after cordoning off a house for about two and a half hours  yesterday.

They also recovered a laptop, five bombs, three knives, some books on jihad, and CDs from the spot.

The arrestees are Anisur Rahman, 40, son of Younus Ali Mian of Arkandi village in Singra upazila, Shafiqul Islam, 42, son of Shukur Ali of Chapapukur village in Bagatipara upazila, Fazlur Rahman, 38, son of Tipu Mandol of Chapapukur village of the same upazila, and Jakir Hossain, son of Fazlur Rahman of Kholabaria village in Naldanga upazila.

Tipped off about the presence of four JMB suspects in Dighapatia area of Sadar upazila, police cordoned off two houses at 3:00am and gave the suspects till 5:30am to surrender. The law enforcers also fired nine bullets in the air, said Superintendent of Police Biplob Bijoy Talukder.

At the time, one of the suspects came out of a house and surrendered to police. After interrogating him, they came to know about the presence of three other suspects in the house.

Police later arrested the three with the laptop, bombs, knives, books on jihad and CDs from the house. On the other hand, nobody was in the other house when they entered it after breaking open the lock on the door, said the SP.

The four were later handed over to Detective Branch of police in Natore for interrogation.

The house from where the four were held is owned by Dubai expatriate Iqbal Shikdar. They rented the house from the relatives of Iqbal a week ago, said the police official.

During primary interrogation, the arrestees confessed that they are members of JMB, he said.