He is suspected to have links with the Zia murder.

The identity of the arrestee was shrouded in mystery for around nine hours. A competent source in the Rab confirmed at around 9:30pm that the arrestee is Moinul, who had fled the country immediately after the killing of president Zia, leaving the armed forces.

After a tip-off, a Rab team raided the Mohammadpur residence of Mozaffar, an accused in the Zia murder case, and made the arrest. But confusion arose about the identity of the arrestee as he repeatedly claimed himself to be Major Moin and produced documents supporting his Canadian residency, Rab sources said.

Rab was uncertain about the identity till 9:00pm last night, said a number of highly placed Rab sources.

The arrestee was under custody of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), said Rab.

"We went to arrest Major Mozaffar, but we ended up capturing Major Moinul since he like Mozaffar had been evading capture since the assassination of Ziaur Rahman," added the source.

Sources said Major Moin, a freedom fighter, was commissioned in the first Bangladesh War Course in October 9, 1971. He was a student of Barisal Medical College and Hospital in the 70s and joined the Liberation War with the army in sector 9.

He was an instructor in the Infantry School of Tactics in Sylhet in 1981. He was in Chittagong when President Zia was killed. "I am not sure whether he went to Chittagong on leave or for any other reasons. But he never returned to his working place in Sylhet," one former colleague of Moinul told The Daily Star last night.

"He left the country either because he was involved in the Zia killing or fearing the trend of wholesale court martial of the freedom fighters," said the source.

He had settled in Canada and developed business there, added the source but could not confirm when he had returned to the country.

Meanwhile, none could confirm whether Major Moin was one of the accused in the court martial (Court in Camera) for mutiny after Zia's killing.