Bangladesh: Top islamic militant captured

Dhaka, 6 March (AKI) - One of Bangladesh's top Islamic militants has been arrested after a fierce gunbattle with the security forces. According to the police. Siddiqul Islam, also known as Bangla Bhai, of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) was captured in his hideout in northern district of Mymensingh. His arrest comes just days after the leader of the JMB, Shayek Abdur Rahman, surrendered to the police in the north-eastern district of Sylhet.

Officials in Bangladesh blame the JMB for a series of bombings which killed at least 28 people.

A court in Bangladesh has sentenced both Islam and Rahman to 40 years in prison for an attack which killed two judges last year. Last August hundreds of bombs were set off in several districts of Bangladesh killing at least three people and injuring over 100. The banned Islamic group JMB was blamed for the series of attacks. Subsequent attacks also targeted judges and courts in the country.

The militant group wants to replace the Muslim-majority Bangladesh's secular laws with Islamic law.