Banned Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) cadres are regrouping along with the fellow militants of Insaf and Allahar Dal to see through the job of establishing Islamic law in the country.

According to intelligence sources and information obtained from detainees, the three outfits are now operating under a single banner whose name changes too frequently to keep track of it.

Determined to come to grips with the loss of their spearheads, they have launched a fresh recruit-

ment drive stealthily, said an intelligence official seeking anonymity.

In a secret ballot immediately after the president had turned down the clemency pleas of now executed JMB top brass Abdur Rahman, Bangla Bhai and four others, the JMB, Allahar Dal and Insaf elected Moulana Sayeedur Rahman alias Abu Jafar as their ameer (commander).

In a series of meetings, they reconstituted a six-member Majlish-e-Shura (highest policymaking body) and appointed nine chiefs for as many operational divisions.

Besides, the militant remnants

vowed to take up the job where it was left off by the top brass. They set police, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), judges, Ahmadiyya mosques and NGOs as prime targets for attacks.

Six top JMB men including Abdur Rahman and his deputy Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai were executed on March 29 for killing two judges in Jhalakathi one and a half years ago.

Intelligence officials have gathered that the militants have plans to blast less powerful bombs and carry out the main attack when the law enforcers will be busy at the first explosion site.

Despite knowing this beforehand, the law enforcers could not pre-empt the three near-simultaneous explosions at railway stations in Dhaka, Chittagong and Sylhet on May 1.

Intelligence officials said their failure to net the ones leading the regenerated militant campaign led to the blasts that harked back to the August 17 countrywide attacks. Besides, the detainees did not give leads enough to avert the explosions.

The intelligence agencies are now examining if the latest blasts have any links to the three groups.

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Sources close to those working on the Islamist groups said the militants have decided to remain cleanshaven and not to wear pajamas or punjabis. They believe this would make it difficult for the law enforcers to suspect them of being militants by the way they look.

Following intelligence reports, the police high-ups have directed its forces down to the district level to be on the alert for the regrouped militants. Accordingly, police in different

districts have taken up programmes seeking to aware the locals so that the militants cannot operate underground.

Sources said the JMB members had observed a seven-day mourning for its executed leaders. In Bogra, they distributed leaflets asking people to maintain a sombre mood throughout the mourning period.

The six members of the recast Majlish-e-Shura are Amir Abu Jafar, Anwar Hossain alias Faruq alias Tanvir, Asadul Islam alias Arif alias Maruf, Sayeed alias Russell alias Zubaer, Mahfuz alias Sohel alias Mamun and Abdullah Taslim alias Nahid alias Biplob.

Jahidul Islam Sumon alias Mizan alias Kamrul alias Nayan of Sheker Vita of Jamalpur has been appointed the military expert of the new JMB for his expertise in explosives, firearms and ammunition, intelligence officials said.

Those in charge of nine divisions are Rokon alias Leon (Dhaka south), Salahuddin alias Nadim (Dhaka north), Mushad alias Roman (Narsinghdi), Ashiq alias Abul Quasem (Narayanganj), Abdullah Taslim alias Nahid (Tangail), Anwar alias Faruq alias Tanjil (Mymensingh and Sylhet division), Mahfuz alias Sohel alias Abu Sayeed (Khulna), Mehedi Hasan alias Abir (Barisal) and Sayeed alias Russell alias Zubaer (Rajshahi).