Meanwhile, three of Galib's associates -- his second-in command and Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab) Nayeb-e-Amir Shaikh Abdus Samad Salafi, Ahab General Secretary Moulana Nurul Islam and Organising Secretary ASM Azizullah -- were brought to Dhaka yesterday afternoon from Gopalganj for quizzing by JIC.

In other developments, the documents questioning Galib's tour of India have gone missing from the register office of Rajshahi University (RU), while the university authority is now considering his suspension.

Intelligence officials at JIC are now working to confirm the apparent link with militancy that led to Galib's arrest. "Now we are trying to confirm whether he was really involved in militancy and if some of the arrestees intentionally gave confessional statements saying they carried out attacks against NGOs and cultural functions at the directive of Galib," the source said.

The official added that Galib continues to deny that militants carried out attacks against NGOs by his order. He otherwise denied his involvement in militancy, saying that he believes in a peaceful means of Jihad, the official quoted Galib as saying.

In most of the questions regarding his involvement in militant activities, Galib remains tightlipped, the official said.

Members of JIC are meanwhile examining the evidence seized during a raid on Galib's house and madrasa in Rajshahi on Wednesday. "We are still checking the source of Galib's funds and checking his accounts, but have yet to freeze them," an intelligence official of the JIC said yesterday, seeking not to be named.

Galib and his associates were shown arrested in five cases, including for murder, bomb attacks, and the robbery of various NGO offices in the four districts of Bogra, Gopalganj, Naogaon, and Sirajganj on February 26.

A well-placed source in the JIC said the intelligence agency officials will vigorously interrogate Galib's three associates and crosscheck the information they provide with that given by Galib.

A professor of Arabic in Rajshahi University, Galib has already admitted having significant sources of foreign funds, which he has used to establish and maintain around 600 mosques and madrasahs across Bangladesh.

Intelligence officials are also examining a clue that Galib took crores of taka in his possession in the name of Tohid Trust.

The cases filed against Galib could be transferred to the Criminal investigation Department (CID) in two or three days, a source in CID said.

"Local police requested the Home Ministry to transfer the cases and the Ministry is also thinking alike," an official in the CID said seeking anonymity.

Meanwhile, RU register Abdus Salam said that none of the files and documents relating to Galib's trip to India were available at the register's office, and that he was unaware of their location at present.

The documents were last referenced in 2002 when, following a complaint from one Shamim Al Mamun of the Kajla area, the RU authority served a fresh show cause notice against Galib for traveling to India without first obtaining the RU authority's no objection certificate. The process continued till mid 2004, our sources said.

But since then the concerned files have gone missing from the register office at RU, where they were personally maintained by the RU vice chancellor, reliable sources said.

Talking to The Daily Star, the RU VC Prof Faisul Islam Faruki denied knowing anything about the files. "I have not even heard of the incident," said the VC.

A believer of Ahle Hadith, Faruki also said, "Ahle Hadith is a movement and I am with it."

Meanwhile, the RU authority has already discontinued Galib's salary since his arrest and official sources added that a process was underway to suspend him.

"We are considering his (Galib) suspension as we learned in the newspapers that he was implicated in a number of criminal cases including a sedition charge. Yet we might have to wait until his conviction in a court," said RU register Abdus Salam.