Sources said, before fleeing the country, Siddiqur Rahman alias Bangla Bhai gave minute instructions to leaders and operatives of his outfit on how to continue working to bring about an Islamic revolution.

The JMJB men are now awaiting the nod of certain political figures in the government to resume their activities, said a top JMJB leader of Naogaon region.

He said in line with its past practice, the JMJB will assume a different name before going again into action. The same outfit was known as Jama'atul Muzahidin Bangladesh and renamed itself as JMJB to avoid police persecution.

Until the 'green signal' comes from its patrons embedded in the ruling coalition, the JMJB operatives will limit their activities to defending themselves against the communist outlaws known as 'Sarbaharas' and law enforcing agencies, said the Naogaon leader. A score of JMJB operatives confirmed the information.

But the defensive strategy incorporates some offences too. For instance, they will terminate Bargachha Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Goutam Shil and two other UP chairs of Naogaon district whenever they find a chance, the JMJB leader and operatives said.

Anwar Hossain Bulu, younger brother of State Minister for Public Works Alamgir Kabir, is also on their hit list, a JMJB commander said.

In reply to a query what made them put Bulu on the list, the commander said Bulu had close relations with a Sarbahara operative named Badshah. The JMJB killed Badshah after making a public announcement of the execution and later kept his body hanging from a tree at a village in Nandigram upazila of Bogra district.

Refusing to give any details of how Bangla Bhai managed to cross the border, another JMJB commander of Naogaon region said they are awaiting 'green signal' from two cabinet ministers from the North, who have been sheltering Bangla Bhai so far, to come out in the open again.

If the ministers continue to protect them as before, especially shielding them from police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), the JMJB will come back to overt operations, he said. But this time they will operate in a guerrilla style aiming at an Islamic revolution, he added.

To a question on whether the JMJB is running any of their militant training camps now, a 'Gayer-e-Ehsan' or second-level JMJB operative answered in the negative, saying they will start the training in the char areas when the conditions allow it again.

He also informed The Daily Star that a divisional organisational conference was held last Friday in Bogra, but refused to name the venue and how it was arranged. Such conferences take place every month, depending on opportunities, but not in any specific district.

The outfit of around 70,000 active members is still enjoying support and co-operation from certain political leaders in the government as earlier, he claimed. To substantiate his claim, he said due to those leaders' blessings Farid, one of the accused of bombing a jatra show at Loxmikola village in Bogra and who was also involved in bomb making in Chaksudu village, enjoys free movement in his locality.

Meanwhile, a bunker was dug on Friday night near Dhunat Police Station in Bogra. Police admitted the fact but could not give any details about who made the trench or why.

The duty officer at the station said they suspect some children might have dug the trench as a game. But, when asked how children possibly could dig a bunker inside a bamboo-grove at night, the officer remained mum.

BANGLA BHAI'S ESCAPE
Changing his earlier plan to surrender in face of strong opposition from his followers, Bangla Bhai gave law enforcers the slip making it across the border into India on Thursday night.

On Bangla Bhai's ultimate destination, a JMJB regional operations commander said, "He may go to any of the three countries -- Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iran," stressing on Bangla Bhai's preference for Afghanistan. According to them, Bangla Bhai will stay in India for a couple of weeks before taking to road heading for any of the aforesaid Muslim countries.

The sources in the JMJB Naogaon unit said he will return to Bangladesh when he gets 'green signal' from his protectors including the two ministers mentioned above.

Under protection of the influential quarter within the ruling coalition, local police and administration, the JMJB had unleashed a reign of terror in the northwestern region in the name of uprooting communist outlaws known as Sarbaharas. In the 10 months to February 23, when it was banned, the fanatic outfit killed at least 22 people and maimed and tortured hundreds.