Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) has issued a red alert in the capital to arrest two death row convict JMB militants, who escaped from police custody at a Dhaka court premises Sunday.

Police have announced a Tk20 lakh bounty on the two fugitive militants. 

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court administration has directed to strengthen security in the subordinate courts of the country, Supreme Court Spokesperson Mohammad Saifur Rahman informed.

By the order of the chief justice, the administration provided the directive to prevent untoward incidents, Saifur noted.

Additional Commissioner and DB Chief Harun-or-Rashid said that cohorts of the convicts used defence spray on policemen present there on guard and snatched them away from the court premises.

The police set up check posts at different points of the capital soon after the militants escaped, he added. 

"All DB teams are working to arrest them. We hope to catch them very soon," he added.

The DB chief also noted that militants usually apply different tactics (to escape) and this time, they have taken a whole new strategy.

The fugitive convicts are - Moinul Hasan Shamim alias Sifat Samir, 24, hailing from Chhatak upazilas of Sunamganj and Md Abu Siddique alias Sakib, 34, from Aditmari Upazila of Lalmonirhat.

According to police, the incident took place around 12:45pm when four accused were taken to Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Dhaka in order to produce them before the Anti-Terrorism Tribunal.

"The escapade was facilitated by four people riding motorcycles who entered the court premises and sprayed on the face of the guarding officials before snatching the convicts from police custody."  

The two escaped JMB men are accused in several cases including the murder cases of Jagriti Prakashani publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan and writer-blogger Abhijit Roy. Police even announced bounty rewards for them before their arrest.