Militant admits masterminding Dhaka blasts

Shaikh Abdur Rahman, the head of Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh has admitted masterminding a string of deadly blasts.

The arrested leader of an Islamic militant group has admitted masterminding a string of deadly blasts and two knife attacks on leading academics in Bangladesh, a security official said on Friday.

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Shaikh Abdur Rahman, head of Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) which has been waging a bloody campaign to have strict Islamic laws imposed in the Muslim but secular country, surrendered to police after a 33-hour siege on March 2.

He was wanted in connection with a spate of bombings including a nationwide wave of blasts last August 17 when more than 400 small devices exploded almost simultaneously and a series of subsequent attacks. At least 28 people died including four suicide bombers.

"He has taken all the responsibility for August 17 and the suicide attacks, and regarding the attacks on the professors," Gulzar Uddin Ahmed, intelligence director of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), said.

"We have been questioning him about the motive behind the attacks and initially he is saying that it was to establish Islamic law," he added.

On Monday, JMB's second in command Siddiqul Islam, known as Bangla Bhai (Bangla brother), was also arrested.

Islam was detained following a gun battle and is due to be questioned after receiving treatment for injuries sustained during his arrest.