On learning about his presence, intelligence men carried out raids but failed to arrest the most wanted suspect in August 17 serial blasts.

A source in the Detective Branch (DB) of police in Bogra also said one of the two men accompanying Rahman resembles Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, operations commander of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB). He was wearing a turban and sunglasses, reports our Bogra Correspondent.

After a brief stay at a coaching centre in Jaleswaritola, Rahman and his men had left the area in a blue private car, said a source in the DB. The coaching centre is the one-time workplace of Bangla Bhai.

The JMB chief and his two cadres went to the coaching centre at around 2:00pm and left in just 15 minutes after using the toilet facilities there.

By the time the intelligence men reached the place following up leads from an informant, Rahman and his associates had gone, added the source.

He, however, could not say from where the three came and in which direction they drove off.

Abdur Rahman had visited Bogra on several occasions even after JMB and JMJB were banned on February 23 this year. The detectives have gathered that he had visited his brother-in-law Abdul Awal alias Abdus Samad in his house [Awal's] at Kaliganj in Singra upazila of Natore several times.

Awal went into hiding soon after the countrywide serial blasts on August 17.

Officials of another intelligence agency confirmed that Rahman had been to Bogra with some of his men a few days back. They, however, could not say whether Bangla Bhai was with him.

They also said the JMB boss has close connections with international militant organisations.

Meanwhile, sources in police and Ahle Hadith Andolan Bangladesh (Ahab) said the wife of detained Ahab chairman Asadullah al Galib has started organising the women activists of Ahab. The organisations' activities had halted after Galib's arrest a few months ago on charges of being involved in militancy.

Bogra Superintendent of Police (SP) Motiur Rahman Sheikh said he does not know anything about Abdur Rahman's recent visit to Bogra.

"I don't have any such information," he told The Daily Star last night.

Asked about the failure of the DB raid to nab Rahman, he said he has no knowledge of that matter as well.

DHAKA
Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) arrested Jewel Khan, 28, in the city's East Bashabo area on Wednesday. He is the proprietor of Colour City Printers, where the leaflets distributed on August 17 were printed.

Members of Rab's intelligence unit raided the East Bashabo area at midnight on Wednesday following up information obtained from the people arrested earlier at the printing press.

The arrestee was being quizzed intensively by Rab members as of last night , said a Rab press release yesterday.

Earlier on September 16, Rab raided Colour City in Bashabo and Daud Modern Printers at Tanti Bazar in Old Dhaka, suspecting the leaflets distributed during the countrywide blasts were printed there.

During the raids Rab arrested eight people from Daud Modern Printers and 14 from Colour City Printers.

Quoting the arrestees, Rab sources said around 7,000 leaflets in Arabic and English were printed at Daud Modern Printers while 8,000 booklets and 52,000 leaflets were printed at Colour City Printers.

The Rab release also said Akramul Islam, who was arrested with five others at the rented East Bashabo house of Ataur Rahman, had ordered the printing and received the leaflets before August 17. Ataur is the younger brother of Abdur Rahman.