Bangladesh |
Bangladesh police arrest Briton over terror allegations |
2010-04-17 |
[Dawn] Bangladeshi police have arrested a Bangladeshi-born British citizen wanted in London on allegations of financing Islamist groups, Dhaka's police chief said Friday. Golam Mostafa, who police say has links to a number of South Asian militant groups, was arrested late Thursday in the north-western district of Sylhet, A.K.M. Shahidul Haq said. 'Mostafa is wanted in London under the Terrorist Financing Act as they found he had been collecting money for the Afghan Mujahedeen and for Bangladeshi militants,' Haq said. The Bangladeshi-born 45-year-old fought in the Afghan war alongside the mujahideen against Soviet forces, Haq said, adding that Mostafa had been under surveillance for years and his Dhaka house was raided in 2007. The Bangladeshi police believe he is also the head of the British arm of banned militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI). The information used to arrest Mostafa was provided by two recently detained suspected militant financiers: a Bangladeshi-born British citizen Faisal Mostafa, and the founder of HuJI Bangladesh, Mufti Abdus Salam, Haq said. Salam now claims to have renounced militancy, left HuJI and founded the Islamic Democratic Party with the aim of competing in Bangladesh elections, although the country's election commission refused to allow him to register. Faisal, 45, who owned the Britain-based Green Crescent charity, was arrested in Bangladesh in April 2009 after police raided a Islamic school, or madressah, on the remote southern island of Bhola, which was run by the charity. Police seized a cache of weapons and explosive devices from the school, as well as jihadist literature urging Muslims to take up arms. |
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Bangladesh | |
Bangladesh police arrest British HuJI leader | |
2010-04-16 | |
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The Bangladeshi-born 45-year-old fought in the Afghan war alongside the mujahedeen against Soviet forces, Haq said, adding that Mostafa had been under surveillance for years and his Dhaka house was raided in 2007. The Bangladeshi police believe he is also the head of the British arm of banned Pakistan-based militant group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI). The information used to arrest Mostafa was provided by two recently detained suspected militant financiers: a Bangladeshi-born British citizen Faisal Mostafa, and the founder of HuJI Bangladesh, Mufti Abdus Salam, Haq said. Salam now claims to have renounced militancy, left HuJI and founded the Islamic Democratic Party with the aim of competing in Bangladesh elections, although the country's election commission refused to allow him to register. Faisal, 45, who owned the Britain-based Green Crescent charity, was arrested in Bangladesh in April 2009 after police raided a Islamic school, or madrassa, on the remote southern island of Bhola, which was run by the charity. Police seized a cache of weapons and explosive devices from the school, as well as jihadist literature urging Muslims to take up arms. | |
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Britain | |||||
Extremist to address Detroit bomber's former student group | |||||
2010-01-18 | |||||
Hamza Andreas Tzortzis will address the University College London Islamic Society on 28 January in a talk entitled "21st century misconceptions of Islam answered." Mr Tzortzis, a Greek convert, was a trustee of Green Crescent, a British charity placed under investigation by the Charity Commission for links with Islamist terrorism. He resigned his trusteeship after Green Crescent's head, Faisal Mostafa, was arrested and charged with terrorism offences in Bangladesh following the discovery of arms caches at a school run by the charity. Dr Mostafa has twice stood trial - and been cleared - on terrorism charges in Britain. In 2008, however, he was given a two-year suspended sentence after attempting to board an aeroplane at Manchester airport with a pistol in his suitcase.
The UCL Islamic Society was previously chaired by the Detroit bomber, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who security sources say began his journey to radicalisation during his time as a student in London.
Last week, The Daily Telegraph reported that senior US government officials accused Britain of not doing enough to tackle extremism, saying the UK has the West's "greatest concentration of active al-Qaeda supporters." Mr Tzortzis said that he was "shocked" by Dr Mostafa's arrest and said while he was involved with it, Green Crescent had had nothing to do with terrorism. He added: "As can be seen from my work, I am all for positive discussion and dialogue and instead of having a form of soundbite journalism we need a more nuanced debate."
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Bangladesh | |
Charges against Faisal, finally | |
2009-04-29 | |
[Bangla Daily Star] The police yesterday pressed charges against Bangladesh-born British citizen Faisal Mostafa and 10 others in a case filed for arms haul at Green Crescent madrasa-cum-orphanage in Bhola. Sub-Inspector Rafiqul Islam of Borhanuddin Police Station, also investigation officer (IO) of the case, submitted the charge sheet to judicial magistrate Aminul Islam. He accused Faisal of links to the mini-munitions factory unearthed in the madrasa founded by his charity Green Crescent. The IO said despite knowing that Mohiuddin, a guard-cum-cook at Green Crescent, had been stockpiling huge arms and ammunition there, Faisal did not bother to inform the law enforcement agencies. Hassan Saifuddin Badal, Moulana Muhammad Russell, Jasim, Abdul Halim, Abul Kalam, Mohiuddin, Kawmi Madrasa Oikya Parishad leader Moulana Mufti Mohiuddin, Humayun Ahmed, a local primary school teacher Abul Kalam and Mizanur Rahman are the other charge-sheeted accused. Of them, the last five are still at large. The Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) found the arms factory inside the madrasa-cum-orphanage on March 24. During the bust, they arrested four suspected militants--Abul Kalam, Abdul Halim, Jasim and Moulana Mohammad Russell. Initially, Faisal was not made accused in any of the two cases filed in connection with the arms recovery. Two days after the arms seizure, his relatives in Dhaka and UK claimed he had been detained since March 25. The law enforcement agencies, however, kept denying arresting him.
The charge sheet is based on Sheikh Muhammad Ali, deputy assistant director of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab)-8, filed the two cases on March 24--one under the arms act and the other under Anti-Terrorism Act 2008. Eleven people were made accused in the cases. SI Rafiqul said Faisal's name was included in the charge sheet after he confessed to having knowledge of the arms and ammunition stash. | |
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Bangladesh |
Green CrescentŽs foreign funds received illegally |
2009-04-25 |
[Bangla Daily Star] Bangladeshi-born British citizen Faisal Mostafa's NGO in Bhola has been regularly receiving foreign funds for its operation though it has no legal permit to receive so. The NGO, Green Crescent, is only registered with the department of social services in Doulatkhan upazila of Bhola, which does not permit it to receive foreign funds for its operation on a regular basis. In order to do so, the organisation would need to obtain a registration from the NGO Bureau. "No one can receive or collect foreign funds without having registered with the NGO Bureau after satisfying the bureau's requirements through the submission of specified documents," the Bhola district social welfare officer told The Daily Star. In a span of just 28 days between November 19 and December 17 in 2007, a total Tk 25 lakh was deposited in the NGO's account (no 6267) with Uttara Bank's Daulatkhan Branch through three pay orders through Sonali Bank. On November 19 of 2007, Tk 3.03 lakh was deposited in the account through pay order no 6767918, Tk 5.60 lakh through pay order no 6767947 on November 29 and Tk 17.45 lakh through pay order no 6767978 on December 17. According to rules, it is mandatory that all branches of commercial and scheduled banks submit Cash Transaction Report (CTR report) of any transaction over Tk 5 lakh to the anti-money laundering department (HO) of Bangladesh Bank (BB) head office. The Manager of Daulatkhan Branch of Uttara Bank Shahidul Islam said he sent a transaction report to the head office of his bank. The head office is supposed to send a copy of the report to the Anti-Money Laundering Department of the Bangladesh Bank (BB). No legal or punitive measures were taken against the account holders or the NGO despite these transactions breaking the law in 2007. The BB authorities have, however, recently begun an investigation into the matter and they have already collected some documents from them in this regard, Shahidul said. The procedures that follows now would require the BAMLCO (branch anti money laundering compliance officer) in charge of the section to enquire of the bank manager and customer to show the cause of these abnormal transactions and to submit documents regarding these foreign funds. After collecting this information, if the BAMLCO is not satisfied then he will mark the account with a suspicious transaction report (STR) and sent the report to the concerned bank head office directing them to submit a detailed transaction profile to BB. If the chief anti-money laundering compliance officer (CAMLCO) of the concerned bank head offices find any abnormal transaction in any account then he has to inform it to the money laundering department (HO) of Bangladesh Bank as per rules and directions. Then BB money laundering department then asks the Anti-corruption Commission (ACC) to lodge a case under the Anti-money Laundering Act 2008 if the allegation proved in a primary investigation. Following the arms and ammo haul from Green Crescent madrasa in Ramkeshob village last month, probes by different departments has been collecting facts about the operation of the NGO. Green Crescent, during its registration with the Department of Social Services in Doulatkhan upazila in 1999 did not declare in its charter anything about operating a madrasa or running an orphanage. |
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Bangladesh |
Faisal brought to Dhaka for TFI quizzing |
2009-04-18 |
![]() They were placed on a fresh 10-day remand on Thursday after the first phase remand. Investigation Officer of the cases SI Rafiqul Islam told The Daily Star that they sent Faisal and Badal from Bhola under strict security yesterday morning. Sources said Faisal has close links with outlawed Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and had met executed JMB supremo Shaekh Abdur Rahman several times. He kept contact with Saidur Rahman, the absconding chief of the militant organisation. "With a PhD in chemistry, Faisal has vast knowledge on how to make explosives and bullets. We suspect the JMB cadres might have been taught the skills," another investigator told The Daily Star asking anonymity. Investigators said they believe the British chemist, who had faced terror charges twice in the UK, might even have been providing funds and logistic supports for JMB's regrouping. Both Faisal and Badal were arrested at Pubail in Gazipur on April 6 following an exclusive discovery of a 'mini-ammunition factory' at a madrasa-cum-orphanage in Bhola on March 24. Rapid Action Battalion seized 10 firearms, 2,500 bullets, 3,000 grenade splinters, 200 grams of gun powder, different components of ammunition and 72 books on jihad, Abul Ala Maududi and Osama bin Laden. |
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Bangladesh |
Faisal, Badal remanded again |
2009-04-17 |
![]() The Investigation Officer (IO) of the case produced the two before the Bhola Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court on completion of a 10-day remand and prayed for more 10 days for each in the case filed under the Anti-Terrorism Ordinance 2008. Earlier, the court showed Faisal arrested in the case following a petition filed by the IO, Sub-inspector Rafiqul Islam of Borhanuddin Police Station. "Faisal and Badal have admitted owning the seized firearms but they are yet to disclose why they had assembled arms and ammunition at the madrasa. That is why we have sought further remand for them," said the IO. Meanwhile, seven solicitors representing Faisal and Badal filed a petition seeking bails, but the court rejected their plea and granted the two 10-day remand each. Earlier on Wednesday the two were taken to Bhola where the Task force Intelligence (TFI) questioned them. Faisal was not initially made accused in any of the two cases filed in connection with the recovery from Green Crescent Madrasa cum Orphanage. He was later shown arrested in both the cases as his name came in the recent confessional statement of Mohammad Russell, one of accused of the two cases. Police sources said both Faisal and Badal might be again sent to the capital for TFI interrogation. Faisal, the founder of Green Crescent madrasa, was apprehended along with Badal at Pubail, Gazipur on April 6 in connection with the arms haul. On March 24, Rapid Action Battalion unearthed the 'mini-ammunition factory' inside the madrasa-cum-orphanage and seized 10 firearms, 2,500 bullets, 3,000 grenade splinters, 200 grams of gun powder, different components of ammunition and 72 books on jihad, Abul Ala Maududi and Osama bin Laden. |
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Bangladesh |
Faisal now admits ownership of arms |
2009-04-16 |
[Bangla Daily Star] Bangladesh-born British citizen Faisal Mostafa who initially denied having any firearms and ammunition seized from Green Crescent Madrasa in Bhola admitted that he owns some of the firearms. "Initially Faisal told us that he does not know anything about the firearms and ammunition but now he admitted to have some of the arms," said an investigator tasked with investigating the arms haul from the madrasa at Ramkeshob village in Borhanuddin upazila. Investigators, however, suspected that Faisal, now on a 10-day remand, stockpiled all the firearms, ammunition and explosives either to train up militants or to supply those arms and explosives for militant attacks. Investigators have already found Faisal's close links with banned Islamist outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh. Faisal had met executed JMB supremo Shaekh Abdur Rahman several times, and kept in contact with Saidur Rahman, now-on-the-run boss of the militant organisation. "We suspect him as a high-profile militant. He has knowledge about most of the militant attacks in Bangladesh," the investigator said wishing anonymity. Faisal, founder of the madrasa, and his close associate Hassan Saifuddin Badal, who was also taken on a 10-day remand, were sent to Borhanuddin yesterday as their current remand will expire today. The investigator said the duo might be produced before a Bhola court today. He said fresh remand would be sought for them for further interrogation. Faisal, founder of Green Crescent charity and NGO, was picked up along with his close associate Badal from Pubail in Gazipur on April 6 in connection with the arms haul from his madrasa. On March 24, Rapid Action Battalion unearthed the 'mini-ammunition factory' inside the madrasa-cum-orphanage and seized 10 firearms, 2,500 bullets, 3,000 grenade ball splinters, 200 gram gun powder, different parts of ammunition and 72 books on jihad, Abul Ala Maududi and Osama bin Laden. |
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Bangladesh |
FaisalŽs JMB link found in probe |
2009-04-14 |
[Bangla Daily Star] Bangladesh-born British citizen Faisal Mostafa, now detained in Dhaka, has close links with banned Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, said investigators. He had met executed JMB supremo Shaekh Abdur Rahman several times, and kept in contact with Saidur Rahman, now-on-the-run boss of the militant organisation. On quite a few occasions, Saidur visited Faisal's Green Crescent madrasa-cum-orphanage at Ramkeshob village in Borhanuddin upazila of Bhola, where the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) discovered a mini-munitions factory and seized a huge cache of arms, ammunition and explosives on March 26. Former ameer of Habiganj district Jamaat-e-Islami, Saidur took up the JMB baton after its six top leaders including Rahman and his deputy Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai were executed in March 2007. |
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Bangladesh | ||||
Faisal finally shown held | ||||
2009-04-07 | ||||
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The Rab claims the 42-year-old chemistry graduate was arrested along with his close associate Md Saifuddin Badal in the early hours yesterday in Bhogra on Pubail bypass road in Gazipur. Additional Director General of Rab Col Rezanur Rahman Khan in a press briefing yesterday afternoon said no charges have been brought against Faisal and Badal. "Md Russell Howladar, who was arrested at Green Crescent Madrasa on March 24, gave the names of Faisal as the owner of the madrasa and Badal as Faisal's close associate," Col Rezanur said.
The names of Faisal and Badal also popped up in a simultaneous police investigation in Bhola. But the cases filed by the police against the madrasa did not include Faisal as an accused or perpetrator. Rab-8 and the intelligence wing of Rab jointly conducted an operation and arrested the two at 4:00am yesterday. However, the media on March 26 reported that Faisal was arrested in Dhaka the previous day. Twice cleared as a terror suspect in 1996 and 2002 in British courts but given 18 months imprisonment for possessing illegal firearm in the UK, Faisal's arrest has drawn focus of the British media.
Faisal's father in Manchester in the UK and father-in-law in Dhaka repeatedly claimed to The Daily Star that he has been arrested, but the law-enforcement agencies trashed their claim. Col Rezanur yesterday denied that claim once again. "He will be sent to Borhanuddin police in Bhola for the next course of action," he said. "If the legal process allows we'll take them for questioning," he added.
On how the arms and ammunition landed in Faisal's well-protected madrasa, Rezanur said, "This is still under investigation." A citizen of Britain based in Manchester, Bangladesh-born Faisal registered an NGO -- Green Crescent -- in Doulatkhan in Bhola in 1999. He had a registered charity in the UK under the same name. He expanded the NGO to Borhanuddin without taking permission from the Department of Social Service. The NGO has a nine-member committee, in which he is the vice-president. According to his family, Faisal travels to Bangladesh at least once a year. This time he came to Bangladesh in March and just left Bhola to go to Chittagong when Rab unearthed his ammo den. Rab sources say the ammo den surely indicates the madrasa has links with militants. But they are not sure if it was Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh, Harkatul Jihad Al Islami or some other group. | ||||
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Bangladesh |
Green Crescent ran illegally |
2009-04-01 |
![]() Following the chilling arms and ammo haul from a well-furnished building of the madrasa in remote Ramkeshob village, a probe by the Department reveals Green Crescent has no permission to operate such institutions. "Green Crescent was registered with the office of the Department of Social Service in Doulatkhan upazila in Bhola in 1999. Nothing was mentioned in its declared programmes in its charter about operating madrasa and orphanage," says an official quoting the investigation report. Citing the probe report, the official adds Green Crescent's sphere of work was supposed to be limited in Doulatkhan municipality as per its registration. But it had set up the madrasa-cum-orphanage in Borhanuddin upazila. "Green Crescent not only illegally set up such an institution but also stretched its activities to Borhanuddin upazila without permission of the Department of Social Service," says an official asking not to be identified. Fasial Mostafa's father Golam Mostafa who lives in Manchester in the UK told The Daily Star earlier Green Crescent has two bank accounts with the Doulatkhan branch of Sonali Bank. But a social service department official says Green Crescent had mentioned its bank account with the Doulatkhan branch of Uttara Bank (account no 6267). The sources say following busting of the suspected militants' den, the Bhola district office of the Department of Social Service submitted the probe report to its head office in Dhaka on March 26. The Rab on March 24 seized a huge cache of firearms and ammo, explosives substance, four pairs of German uniforms, and booklets on jihad, Moulana Moududi and al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden. The next day a special law and order meeting held at the Deputy Commissioner's Office, Bhola decided to run spot investigations into activities of all non-government orphanages, mosques, madrasas and lillah boardings in the district. The meeting also formed a committee comprising officials from the district administration, police, Ansar, Village Defence Party and Department of Social Service to that end. The sources say when Green Crescent was registered in Doulatkhan it had submitted the list of a nine-member executive committee of the organisation. According to the social service department documents, the committee members are President Abul Kalam, Vice-president Bangladeshi expatriate in the UK Faisal Mostafa, General Secretary Hasan Saifuddin Badal, Assistant Secretary Yunus Sharif, Treasurer Mizanur Rahman, Office Secretary Humayun Ahmed and members Sayem Uddin, Harunur Rashid and Zobayer Hossain. "Though Green Crescent was supposed to inform the authorities about any changes in its executive committee, it did not do so after 2005. And recently we found some new names in the committee from the media reports," says an official. The sources say Green Crescent authorities did not mention that they have registered an organisation in the UK by the same name. "During registration they just mentioned that their vice-president lives in the UK," says an official in Bhola. Another official in the capital says Green Crescent was registered with the aim to eradicate illiteracy, provide health service, social development and economic self-reliance for the poor in Doulatkhan. But the Bhola official says medical services, relief distribution, children's parade and physical exercise on national days and feeding the poor sacrificing a dozen cows during Eid-ul-Azha were visible activities of the organisation in Doulatkhan. The official adds Green Crescent neither informed offices of the social service department in Doulatkhan and Borhanuddin upazilas nor the executive officers of the upazilas about their new programmes in Borhanuddin including setting up a madrasa and mosque. Sources say the social service department has sent the probe report to the Ministry of Social Welfare for further decisions and actions. An official of the department says Green Crescent committed two major offences -- it expanded its programmes in Borhanuddin without government permission and kept illegal arms, ammunition and explosives in its possession. "For these offences the government may cancel Green Crescent's registration in Bangladesh," the official observes. |
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Bangladesh |
NGO founder's arrest still not made official |
2009-03-27 |
The law enforcement agencies yesterday denied arresting British citizen Faisal Mostafa, alleged patron of the militants' den busted in Bhola, while his relatives in Dhaka and Manchester claimed he has been detained since Wednesday. "My relatives in Dhaka called me around UK time 7:00am Wednesday (1:00pm local time) and said my son has been detained in Dhaka," Faisal's father Golam Mostafa told The Daily Star last night. Over phone from Manchester, he also talked about how his son manages funds for his charity Green Crescent that runs the madrasa-cum-orphanage by the same name, where the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) unearthed a mini-munitions factory Wednesday. Meanwhile, Faisal has not yet been named accused in any of the two cases filed in connection with the recovery of firearms, ammunition and explosives from Green Crescent madrasa. Golam Mostafa, who visited the Islamic seminary in Ramkeshob village under Borhanuddin upazila in January, claimed it is only an orphanage. He said his son would send money for the organisation through Manchester branch of state-owned Sonali Bank. The funds would be deposited in two accounts with Doulatkha branch of Sonali Bank. Badal, Alam and Humayun operate the accounts in Doulatkha. "Time and again, I've asked my son to maintain one account," Mostafa said. He said the last time he talked to his son was three days back. Faisal told him he was in Dhaka. "I think he knew nothing about Rab's weapon haul at the orphanage in Bhola." He found his son's cellphone switched-off when he tried to reach him after learning about his 'arrest'. Most probably, he continued, the law enforcers have taken away the phone. |
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