Bangladesh police on Saturday said they have found no foreign links between an Islamic militant group blamed for a string of blasts since last August and international "terror" groups.
National police chief Abdul Kaiyum made the statement a day after security officials said the arrested leader of the Islamic radical group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) had confessed to masterminding the blasts.
"We've found no link between the JMB and international Islamic terror groups," Kaiyum said.
"We think this is a home-grown group. Their targets and methods are different than those of the international Islamic terror groups."
Shaikh Abdur Rahman, head of the JMB which he founded in 1998 to wage a bloody campaign to have strict Islamic law imposed in the Muslim but secular country, surrendered to police after a 33-hour siege on March 2.
The Afghan war veteran was wanted in connection with a nationwide wave of blasts on August 17 when over 400 small devices exploded almost simultaneously, and for subsequent attacks.
At least 28 people, including two judges, died in the attacks that also included four suicide bombers.
Leaflets bearing Jamayetul Mujahideen's name were found at all of the August 17 blast sites calling for abolition of Bangladesh's legal system based on English common law.
{{/usCountry}}Leaflets bearing Jamayetul Mujahideen's name were found at all of the August 17 blast sites calling for abolition of Bangladesh's legal system based on English common law.
{{/usCountry}}Police also this month arrested the head of the Jamayetul Mujahideen's sister outfit Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh, headed by Rahman's deputy Siddiqul Islam, commonly known as Bangla Bhai.
The government banned both groups in early 2005, accusing them of earlier bomb attacks on shrines, musical vents, cinemas and other targets.