By Sumi Khan

Dhaka, Aug 11 (IANS): Four members of banned militant outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team, a wing of Jamaat-e-Islam, planning a series of sabotage attacks to set up an Islamic caliphate in Bangladesh, were arrested from Dhaka on Wednesday, police said.

The Bangladesh Police's Anti-Terrorism Unit arrested militant leader Raihan Hossain alias Sabbir Hossain Raihan alias Al Rabbi, who organised new members by threatening them by the name of Islam, as well as Aminul Islam, Sagor Islam alias Yusuf bin Abdur Rakib, and Tanvir Hossain of Chandpur from Rayerbag area.

ATU's ASP, Media and Awareness, Oyahida, told IANS that ABT militants had been running a campaign to establish "Gazwatul Hind" and had been conducting anti-state activity through a secret group in social media. In the secret group, they used to exchange texts for training and preparation for executing a sabotage plan, he added.

ATU SP HQ, Media & Awareness, Md Aslam Khan told IANS that an ATU team has been watching the activities of these ABT members through cyber patrolling for six months.

Police have arrested them before they executed their sabotage plan, he said, adding police will seek their custody for interrogation them to identify the group's remaining members and details of their next plan.

Knives and militant training booklets were seized from the arrested.