 Law enforcing agencies are yet to arrest the masterminds behind with the August countrywide serial bomb blasts although the government is continuously telling the people that hauling up of culprits involved is a âmatter of time.â
Meanwhile, police arrested some top leaders of the banned Jamaâatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and they confessed to their involvement in the heinous activities.
| "Ooch! Ouch! Anything! I'll tell you anything! Does it have to be true?!" |
Experts wonder why the law enforcing agencies were taking time to nab the kingpins. At least 100 cases have so far been filed throughout the country in connection with the serial bomb blasts and only 40 charge sheets have so far been submitted, sources said.
Soon after the arrest of the military commander of JMB Ataur Rahman Sunny, younger brother of JMB chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman, on December 14, the law enforcement members as well as the government had claimed that the entire network of the JMB has been broken. As no major subversive act was committed after the arrest, it appears that the government claim was partially true.
| "Cheez it Muggsy, lay low for a while til we get the G-men off our backs!" |
The sources said they could sense a reshuffle in the central leadership, mainly in the military wing, by going through the threat letters issued by the JMB different parts of the country.
But sources fear that the JMB is taking time for regrouping as their kingpin Shiekh Abdur Rahman and its operational wing JMJB's chief Bangla Bhai are still at large and working behind the scene.
Meanwhile, two top arrested JMB leaders including Chittagong militant commander Javed Iqbal alias Mohammad gave statements under Section 164 to the metropolitan magistrate court on Friday. Metropolitan Magistrate Maksudur Rahman first started recording of the deposition of confessional statement of Operational Commander of JMB, Cox's Bazar district Naimuzzaman at around 3:30 PM.
| "Ease off the pliers a moment, Ahmed, I need to get his jibbering on tape." |
After completion of recording of the one hour statement of Naimuzzaman the magistrate turned to record deposition of statement from Javed Iqbal alias Mohammad at around 6:00 PM which is still going on till filing of this report at 7:15 PM.
A source linked with the investigation said that deposition of statement of the rest two JMB leaders Monirul Islam and Rafiqul Islam also seconds-in-command to Mohammad will also be recorded in turns.
| "Hand me the electric sander, Ahmed, I have another deposition to record." |
The arrested JMB leaders have been produced before the court at around 3:00 PM under RAB escort and other law enforcers were also put on maximum alert.
Different satellite television channels have screened an exclusive appeal of Ataur Rahman Sunny, in which the JMB's military commander called upon his fellows to surrender and hand over their weapons and explosives to police and other law enforcing agencies. But a day after his (Sunny) appeal, an Ehsar (member of suicide squad) of JMB in Rangpur has threatened to launch fresh bomb attacks in Rangpur claiming that they were reorganising under new leadership.
| Since all the old leadership is in jug or in Dr. Quincy's morgue. |
Despite repeated screening of the appeal of Sunny in BTV, none of the JMB member have so far surrendered or handed over their weapons ignoring the appeal of the military commander.
Before its underground launching, the JMB has spread its organisation under the banner of Ahle Hadith Andolan led by grilled Dr Asadullah Al Galib. Shaikh Abdur Rahman's father Fazal Munshi was the founder of the party. After the death of Fazal Munshi, Dr Galib became the chief of Ahle Hadith Andolan. But soon a split took place over the leadership resulting in creation of another faction led by Shaikh Abdur Rahman.
| Everyone following so far? |
Later, Shaikh Abdur Rahman formed the JMB and recruited hundreds of youths from all parts of the country in the name of carrying out an Islamic revolution.
As part of the 'test case' of Jehad, Shaikh Abdur Rahman has deputed one of his influential commanders Bangla Bhai, also the member of Majlish-e-Shura (top policy making body), at Bagmara in Rajshahi where he (Bangla Bhai) let loose a reign of terror. Bangla Bhai, under the banner of JMJB, has brutally killed a number of innocent people in the name of eliminating the outlawed party.
JMB first launched countrywide serial bomb attacks on August 17 apparently to declare their presence and strength killing two people. On November 3, they launched simultaneous bomb attacks on court premises in Chittagong, Laxmipur and Chandpur also killing three people. The outfit carried out its first suicide attack on judges in Jhalakathi on November 14 killing two judges â Sohel Ahmed and Jagannath Pandey.
On October 18, a judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal in Sylhet, Biplab Goswami, narrowly escaped a bomb attack. The suicide bombers on November 29 carried out bomb attacks at District Bar Library in Gazipur and Chittagong court leaving 13 people dead. The banned Islamic outfit carried out another suicide attack on December 1 killing a man and injuring 20 people in front of Gazipur DC office. The suicide bombers carried out their last attack on December 8 in Netrokona where 10 people were killed and many others injured. |
A court here yesterday awarded 10 years' imprisonment to Javed Iqbal alias Mohammad, 28, Chittagong divisional chief of outlawed Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), in a case filed in connection with countrywide serial blasts on August 17, 2005. 
A Chittagong court yesterday framed charges against six 
Feb 19: JMB Chittagong divisional commander