Before their departure, the British criminal investigators held a one-hour meeting from 12 noon with Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police, Sylhet Range Ali Imam Chowdhury in his office.

During the meeting, the DIG updated the British team on the progress made by Bangladesh police and intelligence agencies in their investigations into the grenade attack that killed three and injured 70 including British High Commi-ssioner Anwar Choudhury.

According to a police official, DIG Chowdhury informed the British investigators that Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) Director (Investigation) Sadequr Rahman and a number of officials from National Security Intelligence (NSI), Directorate General of Filed Intelligence (DGFI) and Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of Police had joined in the probe.

The British detectives said they would contact Bangladesh police for any further information they might need for their inquiry.

Shahadat Hossain, the superintendent of police (SP) of Sylhet suspended for failing to provide adequate security to the visiting high commissioner, last night handed over his charge to Additional SP Rezaul Karim. Hossain leaves Sylhet today and would report to the police headquarters in Dhaka.

Police yesterday arrested three persons named Fazal, Nayeem and Moyeen in connection to the grenade blast. Fazal, who had worked in the shrine for a few months and then left Sylhet three months ago, was nabbed at a stone quarry in Jafflong. Moyeen and his brother Nayeem were arrested at Rajargoli, adjacent to the shrine. Sylhet Kotwali police in the afternoon took them into custody for interrogation, an official said.

Rab officials yesterday afternoon quizzed about 30 beggars, who used to seek alms regularly in the shrine area.

Police are also on the look out for a beggar who was given a 100-taka note by Abdul Hai Khan, a close relative accompanying the British high commissioner, a moment ahead of the blast. Based on Khan's statement, police suspect the beggar may have link to the gang responsible for the attack.

The man was aged about 40 to 42 and did not seem like a beggar, Khan, also the president of Sylhet District Bar Association, told the newsmen yesterday. He however gave him the money as the high commissioner asked him to, in face of the man's persistent begging, Khan recalled, adding the man was wearing a green kurta.

Police also suspect that some other people were at the spot to help the principal attacker flee after hurling the grenade.

Sylhet District Bar Association at a press conference yesterday de-manded for a probe body headed by a Supreme Court judge into the Friday's blast in order to ensure a 'proper investigation.'

At the conference held at the Sylhet Press Club in the afternoon, the association also demanded for making the report of the probe committee into the January-12 blast public at the earliest and exemplary punishment of the culprits.