Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit has arrested three suspected members of Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami Bangladesh (HujiB) in Dhaka.
CTTC arrested them from Boro Mosque Math near Dhaka's Nikunja 1 on Wednesday.
The arrestees are Mohammad Atiqullah alias Asadullah alias Zulfiqar, 49, Mohammad Borhan Uddin Rabbani, 42, and Mohammad Nazim Uddin alias Shamim, 43.
Confirming the matter, DMP Deputy Commissioner (Media) Masudur Rahman said: "During primary interrogation police learned that Atiqullah has connection with militant groups in other countries, including Pakistan, Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
"He was a part of multiple meetings held with top militant leaders, including Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar, Ayman al-Zawahiri, during the war in Afghanistan."
Atiqullah also informed the police that he is an Afghan return fighter and bomb specialist. After a long period of exile abroad, he returned to Bangladesh in March this year, and had been trying to contact the old members to reorganize the group.
He also had been trying to recruit new members to speed up the HujiB's activities in the upcoming days.
DC Masudur further said that Atiqullah also made organizational visits to various places of Bangladesh, and raised money from both domestic and foreign sources, to mobilize the organization.
He went on saying that Atiqullah was an organizing secretary of the committee of the HujiB formed by Mufti Hannan in 1996, and later was responsible for BaitulMal and International Relations Department.
During the last caretaker government, he fled to Saudi Arabia via Dubai, hid himself, and visited Pakistan multiple times for militant activities.
The other arrestee Najim is a secretary of HujiB Dhaka Metropolitan South unit, and Rabbani was given the responsibility to handle Feni district.
"Recently, they were trying to reorganize the group centering Kashmir and the Rohingya issues," DC Masud added.
Meanwhile, a case has been filed in this connection with Khilkhet police station under Anti-Terrorism Act.
In October 17, 2005, HujiB was banned for carrying out militant activities.
