Dhaka, July 30 (bdnews24.com)—The police have busted an extremists hideout at a residence of north Bishil in Mirpur, seized firearms, bombs and huge explosives but failed to detain anyone.

Acting on information from the owner of the house, the police on Friday noon swooped on the hideout. Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner AKM Shahidul Hoque has visited the site after the discovery.

The police said the arms and explosives were recovered from one of the rooms on the third floor of the 70/k North Bishil residence.

Mirpur area's assistant commissioner of police Imtiaz Ahmed told bdnews24.com that there were 11 small wood-partitioned rooms on the third floor of the residence.

Ahmed also confirmed that in the operation police recovered an SMC rifle (Stan-gun), a foreign automatic pistol, 18 rounds of ammunition, a grenade, 36 anti-grenades, 40 kilograms of gun-powder, three bags of splinters, hundreds of bomb-timers (clocks) and a bomb-making formula.

A number of Jihadi texts were also recovered from the spot.

The police have learnt that four people were staying at the residence, said Imtiaz, adding that the police are looking for them.

The residence owner, Mosharraf Hossain, told bdnews24.com that the four had identified themselves as light traders and had rented the room on June 4, at Tk 2400 per month. The landlord also said they have paid one month's rent in advance.

"In the beginning of July we asked for photographs and ID cards of all the paying residents," said Hossain, "we found the room locked from July 15 and none of the residents returned."

Subsequently Hossain entered the room by breaking open the lock, and informed the police after discovering the arms and explosives.

After visiting the spot the police commissioner told bdnews24.com that the police were certain that this was an extremist hideout and that the police were "working on it and hope to identify them soon."

The commissioner speculated that "it might be the people who don't want the war crimes trial and we are looking into the matter as well."

Commenting on the number of clocks the commissioner suggested "they (the extremists) might be trying to make time-bombs with these clocks". He said more than a hundred grenades could be made with the recovered gun-powder.

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