2 Suspected Militants Held in Bangladesh
Security forces arrested the suspected military commander and the alleged accountant of a banned Islamic group blamed for a wave of deadly bombings in Bangladesh, claiming a breakthrough Wednesday in their fight against the militants.
Investigators interrogated the men in hopes they could help crack Jumatul Mujahedin Bangladesh, which officials say carried out attacks that have killed 22 people and wounded scores since November.
Jumatul Mujahedin Bangladesh wants to establish Islamic rule in the country. Bangladesh, home to 145 million people, is an overwhelmingly Muslim nation governed by secular laws.
Elite forces caught Ataur Rahman, the group’s reputed military commander, in a raid Tuesday in Dhaka, the capital, said Masuq Hassan Ahmed, a spokesman for the elite Rapid Action Battalion.
Agents also arrested Fariduzzaman Swapan, who is believed to be an accountant for Jumatul Mujahedin, in a separate raid Tuesday in Dhaka, Ahmed said.
Neither man has been charged.
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