Huji men now joining Ansar al Islam group, claims RAB

The group is responsible for the killing of several bloggers and writers in Bangladesh.

The Huji operatives are now changing their group as the top leaders of the outfit are either hanged or behind bars after August 21 grenade attack in 2004 and the grenade attack on British High Commissioner Anwar Chowdhury on May 21, 2004, Mozammel Haque, commanding officer of Rab-4 said at a press conference at Rab media centre, reported The Daily Star.

Four Ansar al Islam men were arrested from Dhaka's Gabtoli and nearby Amin Bazar areas on Saturday.

They have been identified as Mufti Saiful Islam, 34, Salim Mia, 30, Zunayed, 37, and Ahmed Sohayel, 21.

Of them, Saiful and Zunayed were once affiliated with Huji, but now hold an important post in the Ansar al Islam, Mozammel was quoted as saying by The Daily Star.

“They [the arrestees] had a plan to kill whom they believe as an obstacle in their way,” the Rab official said.

RAB officials are not sure whether the arrested people are associated with any such killings.

However, RAB claimed that two machetes were seized from the arrested people.