JIC questioning Haji Yakub, transport leaders call strike demanding his release.

Dhaka, March 19 (BDNEWS) - The joint interrogation cell (JIC) has started grilling Haji Yakub, one of the main accused in the ever-biggest arms consignment haul in Chittagong, keeping him under Mirpur thana custody.

JIC personnel said he is a hardcore criminal, but he is denying his involvement outright in the smuggling of the arms and ammunitions.

On the other hand, transport leaders alleged that the government is trying to hide the main culprits by arresting Haji Yakub.

Demanding Yakub's unconditional release, they have called a 12-hour transport strike in 15 districts of Chittagong and Sylhet region for Sunday.

Haji Yakub is the central vice president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation and general secretary of its Chittagong unit.

When contacted, Additional Inspector General of Police and Chief of the Special Branch (SB), Abdul Kaiyum said Yakub is being interrogated.

"But, it is still at the preliminary stage... anything about the progress of the interrogation could not be said immediately," he told BDNEWS Saturday.

Deputy Commissioner (south) Majharul Huq said different intelligence agencies, including CID, SB, NSI, DB, have been interrogating him.

SI Ramijuddin of Mirpur thana, who arrested Yakub and also a member of the JIC, said top officials are interrogating him.

Intejaruddin, officer-in-charge of Mirpur, said that he (Yakub) is a hardcore criminal. "Whatever we ask him, he says he doesn't know anything."

Meanwhile, following the arrest of Haji Yakub from Mirpur area, CID officials of Chittagong range held a meeting Saturday.

Sources close to the meeting said that they considered that if Yakub is interrogated properly, the real culprits and destination of the arms consignment might be unearthed.

The sources also added that Yakub might know the whereabouts of other accused persons -- Haji Abdus Sobhan, Hafizur Rahman, Deen Mohamad and Abul Kashem Madhu.

According to sources, the CID framed a chargesheet last year into the incident where they said that these arms were brought from Myanmar by two trawlers owned by Haji Abdus Sobhan.

Meanwhile, president of Bangladesh Road Transport Workers Federation, Shahjahan Khan, MP, said that the government knows everything about the arms hauls -- the main culprits and the destination.

"But the government arrested Haji Yakub to hide them," he told BDNEWS.

He said after the strike in the eastern zone, they would declare further action programme.

BDNEWS/2123 hrs