DHAKA - POLICE in northern Bangladesh arrested seven suspected militants tied to a banned Islamic group and seized a large cache of bomb-making materials.

The raids came days before Monday's national elections to restore democracy, though police said it was unclear whether the explosives were part of any plot to disrupt the polls.

Officials seized grenades, explosives, batteries and books on jihad, or holy war, said S.M. Muniruzzaman, police chief of the Gaibandha district where the arrests were made in separate raids on Wednesday and Thursday.

He said the suspects were members of the Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh group, which has been blamed for more than 400 small bombs that exploded across Bangladesh on one day in 2005, killing two people and wounding dozens.

Mr Muniruzzaman said the suspects confessed that they are linked with the banned group, which wants to establish Islamic rule in Bangladesh, a Muslim-majority nation of 150 million people that is ruled by secular laws.

'They have given some other names, we are trying to arrest them too,' he said. 'We're interrogating them for more information.'

Bangladesh had been under a state of emergency since January 2007, when President Iajuddin Ahmed cancelled scheduled elections after weeks street violence over electoral reforms. The emergency rule was lifted on Dec 17 in preparation for new elections. -- AP