DHAKA (DAILY STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Police in Dhaka have arrested five Bangladeshi nationals who were repatriated from Singapore after being found to own jihadi-related materials or support the use of violent for a religious cause.

The five had been uncovered as part of an investigation that netted eight other Bangladeshi workers who had formed a group called the Islamic State in Bangladesh (ISB)and had been planning to stage terror attacks in Bangladesh.

The eight have been detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crimes unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) arrested the five repatriated Bangladeshis from Banasree area near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 11:30am on Tuesday (May 3), Monirul Islam, additional commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, told a press briefing.

The five are Mizanur Rahman, Rana, Alamgir, Tanjimul Islam and Santu Khan.

Primary interrogation revealed that the five went to Singapore between 2007 and 2011 and got involved in terrorist activities, said Monirul.

There is possibility that they might be involved with Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an Islamic extremist group in Bangladesh, Monirul added.

They will be produced before the court with 10-day remand prayer.

"We will be able to understand the situation clearly once we can interrogate them," said Monirul.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to Singapore Mahbub Uz Zaman said the authorities of both Bangladesh and Singapore are working closely to curb the militancy.

"Investigation is going on. We are closely working with the Singaporean authorities as our government has taken the security issue seriously," the envoy told The Daily Star over phone.