Dhaka, Feb 14 (IANS): Two top leaders of the banned militant outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) of Khulna Division were arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from Malibagh area in the capital, RAB officials have confirmed.

The arrested militant leaders have been identified as Abdul Quddus, 57, of Mirzapur village in Jashore district and Md. Sirajul Islam alias Salauddin, 35, of Barandipara village of the same district.

RAB-3 commanding officer Lt. Col. Arif Mohiuddin Ahmed claimed that based on secret information a team of RAB-3 conducted a raid in Malibagh of the capital to arrest the Huji militants on Sunday night.

Quddus is the regional and central coordinator of Jashore district unit of HuJI-B.

In 2007, a militant case was filed with Jhenaidah Sadar police station against Quddus and he was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court in that case.

The other militant, Islam, joined the HuJI-B in 2001. He was in-charge of recruitment and economic wing of Jashore district central HuJI-B.

In 2010, an Explosives Act case was filed against him. He was arrested in 2011 at Jashore Kotwali police station in that case and was released on bail in 2012, after which he went into hiding in various areas of Khulna division and was carrying out organisational activities.

Senior Assistant Superintendent of Police (Media) of RAB-3, Farzana Haque, confirmed the matter to IANS saying that the two arrested militants were sent to Dhaka court on Monday after primary interrogation.