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Bangladesh

7 JMB men on fresh remand

2009-10-17

[Bangla Daily Star] The seven arrested members of banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were taken on a fresh five-day remand last afternoon. The court of Metropolitan Magistrate BM Tariqul Kabir granted the five-day remand after police had produced the militants before the court with remand prayers for eight days, said Sub-Inspector M Hafizur Rahman, investigation officer (IO) of the case. Police identified the arrestees as JMB Rajshahi division chief Ashraf alias Haider, 32, Naogaon district chief Abdur Rahim, 30, and Natore district chief Shahabuddin, 35, and JMB ehsar (full-time) members Md Momtaz, 20, Asadul Islam, 30, Rohidul, 35, and Isarul Islam, 22. On October 10, the militants were taken on a seven-day remand that ended yesterday. A team of Special Branch of police arrested them from four greater Rajshahi districts. Senior police officials said, the seven militants during interrogation on remand denied their involvement in JMB activities. Rather they confessed to being the followers of militant kingpin and Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh>Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh Chief Asadullah Al Galib, the sources added. Many of Galib's foreign connections eventually turn into sources of funding for JMB pointing finger at the Ahle Hadith chief's patronisation of the JMB underground, said the investigation sources. During the seven-day remand in police custody, the militants lived a camp life. As six of them go to sleep, another keeps watch on others, fans them or protects them from mosquito bites. They say their prayers and take meals together.

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Bangladesh

Police round up 7 JMB men

2009-10-10

[Bangla Daily Star] A team of Special Branch (SB) of police have arrested seven members of the banned militant outfit Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from four districts of Rajshahi division over the last couple of days. All the arrestees were paraded before the media at Rajshahi Metropolitan Police headquarters yesterday morning. However, journalists were not allowed to talk to the arrested militants. Police identified the arrestees as JMB Rajshahi division chief Ashraf alias Haider, 32, JMB ehsar (full-time) members Md Momtaz, 20, Asadul Islam, 30, Rohidul, 35, and Isarul Islam, 22 and Naogaon district chief Abdur Rahim, 30, and Natore district chief Sahabuddin, 35. Ashraf was arrested from Malda Colony in Rajshahi city on Wednesday night and following his statement police arrested JMB ehsar members Asadul Islam and Isarul from Chapainawabganj the next day. The SB team arrested Abdur Rahim and Momtaz from Atrai upazila. The same day Shahabuddin and Rohidul were rounded up from Boraigram upazila of Natore. The arrestees were handed over to Boalia Police Station, Officer-in-charge of the police station said. "Our operations against the JMB will continue and we are now trying to nab all the district level commanders of the outfit," said Additional Superintendent of Police Zannatul Hasan. Hailed from Chapainawabganj, Ashraf has two wives. His first wife is JMB's woman wing commander. Terming Ashraf a hardened militant, a police official said, as he was being taken to the Boalia Police Station from Rajshahi Metropolitan Police headquarters, Ashraf told him, "I will be in your place on the judgement day when I will order you and you have to follow." The police also recovered a number of books on jihad, eight mobile phone sets, computers and CDs from their possession. Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh Chief Asadullah Al Galib, international terror-suspect Abdur Razzak Bin Yousuf, Jamaat-e Islami founder Sayed Abul Ala Moududi, Jamaat's Assistant Secretary General Mujibor Rahman and Hizb-ut Tawhid Chief Bayazid Khan Ponny were the writers of some of the books recovered.

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Bangladesh

Bangla: Madrasa shut over militancy

2009-08-14

[Bangla Daily Star] Al Markajul Islami As-Salafi Madrasa at Nawdapara in the city was closed sine die by its authorities yesterday due to attempts of implanting extremism in students by Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab), a militant outfit led by Asadullah Al Galib. Galib, arrested in 2005 on charges of militancy and now free on bail, has been sheltering outsiders, many of whom are students of Rajshahi University and Rajshahi College, in madrasa dormitories for last few months, said Principal of the madrasa Abdus Samad Salafi. These outsiders with assistance from some pro-Galib teachers used to assault students, sometimes the teachers who were not in Galib's favour, said Salafi, adding that they were also engaged in indoctrinating the students to defy madrasa rules and join Ahab. "Concerned about these men, we made the decision to close the madrasa indefinitely," said Salafi, former Nayeb-e-Amir who resigned from Ahab along with some 48 others in April for the outfit's anti-state activities. Sources said just before the closure, the Ahab adherents prevented the students from attending a discussion on the life of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and a special prayer on the occasion of the national mourning day. Around noon, when the madrasa authorities were about to start the programme, Abdur Razzak Bin Yusuf, a madrasa teacher, kept the students from joining the function. The students said Razzak told them not to attend the function because Galib does not like Bangabandhu. The madrasa premises is the property of Touhid Trust, an NGO from where Galib was ousted for financial anomalies, said Salafi, adding, Galib has been occupying a building on the campus that was meant for a medical centre.

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Bangladesh

Militant outfit Ahab demands Galib's release

2005-12-24

Call them Ishmael... Leaders of militant outfit Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab) yesterday demanded release of Ahab chief Dr Asadullah Al Galib, denying allegations of their links to international terrorist organisation al Qaeda and banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) as well as their secret activities in a peacekeeping mission of Bangladesh army abroad. "Whatever be the allegations, we are not involved anyway in militancy," acting Ahab chief Dr Mohammad Muslehuddin claimed at a press conference in the city. "No, no! Certainly not!" He however did not substantiate his claim and failed to answer properly queries from journalists. Categorically blaming Jamaat-e Islami for militancy in the country, the Ahab leader said, "There is no need to find out who are behind militancy. They (Jamaat) themselves confessed to such crimes. Has Nizami (Jamaat chief and minister Motiur Rahman Nizami ) been arrested although most people and organisations are holding him responsible (for militancy)?" In an oblique reference to Jamaat, he said political vengeance of an Islamic party was responsible for arrests of Galib and other Ahab leaders. Muslehuddin, a Madina University scholar and teacher at Chittagong Islamic University established by the suspect Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS), said false propaganda by some expelled Ahab leaders, newspaper reports and wrong intelligence reports also led to arrests of Ahab leaders. "Intelligence agencies of our country appear to be ever asleep , we doubt if they are alerted even after August 17 (countrywide blasts," he said. The press conference was attended by, among others, Ahab General Secretary Abdul Wadud, Galib-run Al Tahreek editor Dr Sakhawat Hossain, Ahle Hadith Jubo Sangha (AHJS) acting President Kabirul Islam and Rajshahi Ahab President Abul Kalam Azad. Asked how he can deny Ahab links to Al Qaeda when Osama Bin Laden's close associate Sheikh Abdullah Nasser Al Rahmani of Pakistan was welcomed at an Ahab conference, Muslehuddin said, "We invited him as a famous alem (Islamic scholar)." Criticising the US, Muslehuddin said, " Someone's being on America's list of terrorists does not mean one is a terrorist." At a 1997 Ahab conference, Galib named a number of guests from India, Pakistan, Nepal, the Maldives, Bhutan and Sri Lanka, including Nasser Al Rahmani, an alleged leader of Saudi Hizbullah. US Federal Bureau of Investigation announced rewards of $5 million for his arrest. On the presence of Abdul Matin Salafi from India, who was expelled from Bangladesh in 1988 for militancy, Muslehuddin said, "We invite people irrespective of ideologies and anyone can address our annual conference." He kept mum when asked how Matin Salafi can be 'anyone' when Galib had a joint account with him at Motijheel Branch of Islami Bank Bangladesh between July 1989 and May 1990 (after his expulsion). Matin Salafi helped Galib collect funds and establish links to militants abroad, especially in the Middle East and South Asia, investigators said.

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Bangladesh

JMB Rajshahi 'commander' was involved with Ahab

2005-12-22

No white whale or peg leg involved, not even a Queeg or two... Arrested JMB (Jamaatul Mujahidin Bangladesh) Rajshahi 'divisional commander' Abul Kalam alias Shafiullah alias Tarique was involved with Ahle Hadith Juba Sangha, youth front of Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab), led by Dr. Asadullah Al Galib, a teacher of Rajshahi University. Ahle Hadith equates to Salafism, of course... He came in contact with JMB chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman when the later visited Satkhira in 1999, sources in intelligence agencies said. "Later on, under the directive of Shaikh Abdur Rahman, he lured poor youths from neighbouring villages like Itagachha, Kharibila, Kamal Nagar, Baliadanga to join JMB to take part in Jihad for establishing Islamic rule. He recruited and trained JMB activists", one source said. JMB chief Shaikh Abdur Rahman often visited Satkhira and took part in secret meetings, held at mosques and madrashas in Itagachha, Kharibia and Kamal Nagar areas, said a devotee at a mosque at Itagachha seeking anonymity. Abul Kalam alias Shafiullah formed 'Ketal Bahini' in Satkhira under the directive of Shaikh Abdur Rahman in 1999.

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh police seize arms cache

2005-12-18

Police in Bangladesh have seized a large amount of bombs and explosives and arrested four fighters in the second big success this week against radicals fighting for Islamic rule. Another one? Cheeze. They must be tripping over them. The elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) force uncovered the arms cache in Rajshahi city, 300km northwest of the capital Dhaka, on Friday. A spokesman for the RAB said on Saturday: "Two hundred bombs, 2000 detonators, 144 pieces of power gel explosives and bomb-making materials were seized from two hideouts late on Friday." The hideouts were raided after police had detained four fighters hours earlier. I wonder if the raids took place at 3 a.m.? I wonder if the four "fighters" survived the experience? And no shutter guns? On Wednesday, the RAB arrested three leading fighters, including Ataur Rahman Sunny, an "operations commander", and seized 120kg of explosives, 27 grenades, dozens of detonators and 24 revolvers in Dhaka and southeastern Chittagong. Police said Abu Isha, one of the four detained in Rajshahi on Friday, was a regional operations commander. Bangladesh authorities blamed the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen group for a recent wave of bombings that has killed at least 30 people and wounded 150 since 17 August. More on the raid from the News from Bangladesh: In Rajshahi, RAB in separate lightning swoops, arrested four operatives of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) including its Rajshahi district commander and seized a large quantity of bomb-making materials. The arrested were identified as JMB district commander Mohammed Abu Musa alias Enamul, 27, Mohammed Ajmat Ali, 28, his brother Mohammed Hasmat Ali, 35, and Mohammed Abdul Wahab, 40. The recovered explosives and bomb-making materials include 2,000 electric bomb detonators and 144 pieces of power gel. Tipped off, a team of the crack crime-busting force netted Enamul, son of Mohammed Abdul Karim Akand of Char Laxmipur under Belkuchi upazila of Sirajganj district, at around 1:00am at Katakhali in the northwestern divisional city. Enamul admitted to his involvement in the August 17 bomb blasts on the premises of the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Rajshahi. "Ooch! Ouch! Stop that!" Acting on his painfully extracted confession, the RAB team arrested Ajmat Ali, son of Mohammed Nazir, at their Naodapara house in the city at around 4:00am. On information extracted from Ajmat, the law enforcers found Hasmat Ali hiding in the attic with 64 pieces of power gel. He was hiding in deoderant? The base of Asadullah al Galib, chief of another Islamist outfit Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (AHAB), is also located at Naodapara under Motihar Police Station. The same RAB team then arrested Abdul Wahab, son of Mohammed Jasimuddin Sheikh, from their house at West Banshbari under Putia upazila of the district at around 5:30am. 5:30 am is too late to set up a proper crossfire, so Abdul gets a day in the pokey. Until tomorrow night. Searching the house, RAB members recovered 500 electric detonators and 80 power gels from inside a computer casing hidden in a haystack. The team found 1,500 more electric detonators in a sound box hanging from the ceiling of the house. Sources said the detainees are being interrogated at the RAB-5 office and are coming up with information vital to national security. And soon they'll try to escape.

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Bangladesh

Bangladesh funds terror donor

2005-12-05

Just days before the Nov 29 carnage on two court premises, the government gave consent to release a fund of about Tk 2 crore to the Bangladesh branch of a Kuwaiti non-governmental organisation (NGO), Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS), which is at the top of the list of suspected donors to Islamic militants in the country. The funds are for training imams, and for building mosques and madrasas, said sources in the Bureau of NGO Affairs. Earlier an intelligence report suggested the government to ban the RIHS, and suspected Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab) of channelling the NGO's funds to the banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). According to the US Treasury Department's web site, as part of the US government's financial war on terror it added the RIHS to its list of "Specially Designated Global Terrorists", in January 2002. In addition, the group's directors were added to the terrorist list. The same organisation was also added to the "Terrorist Exclusion List" of the US government. Any person known to have association with a listed organisation such as the RIHS is currently barred from entering the US. According to Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd (IBBL) sources however, RIHS started distributing the freshly released fund on Nov 29 among its contractors. It is being disbursed through bearer cheques instead of account payee ones, which makes it easier for just about anyone bearing the cheques to withdraw money from the bank. Observers fear that the process of disbursement may make it easier for the militants to channel fund for their activities. Among the contractors are some associates of the arrested militant leader Asadullah Al Galib and his second-in-command Abdus Samad Salafi, said a reliable source. The fund was released after RIHS' regional director general for Asia, Abu Khaled Falah Al Mutairee and its country director general, Abdul Aziz Khalaf Maalullah, both Kuwaiti citizens, lobbied the government till Nov 25 during their six-day visit to Bangladesh, said sources. Staying in a Banani guesthouse and maintaining secrecy, they met high-ranking leaders of the ruling alliance, leaders of Ahab, and some officials of the Kuwait Embassy, NGO bureau, and of several other Middle Eastern NGOs. NGO bureau sources said the Kuwaiti officials visited the country with the government's consent and they wanted to know the government's stance on the RIHS. They convinced the government to release the fund that had been remitted from Kuwait as the RIHS supposedly has to pay its unpaid bills of Tk 12 crore accrued since 2003 for training Imams, constructing mosques and madrasas, and for installing tube-wells in the country. The government never even conducted any spot-investigation of these projects, said a source. Release of RIHS funds was suspended after the arrests of Galib, and Samad Salafi in February following investigation reports revealing links among escalating Islamic militant violence in the country, RIHS constructed mosques, and the Imams trained by the NGO. The Dayee and Imam (Daoa) division of the RIHS and the Higher Islamic Education Institute run by it at Uttara in Dhaka were also shut down by the government three months ago. In July however, funds for different orphanages under the organisation were released on humanitarian grounds. Several days ago the NGO bureau following government's nod sent its clearance to the Rajlaxmi Market branch of IBBL at Uttara to release the fund of Tk 2 crore against RIHS' savings account. However, NGO bureau Director General CQK Mustak Ahmed told The Daily Star on Thursday that the government never stopped funds of any NGO on allegations of terror financing. He also said he did not have information about any NGO funding militant activities. But bank sources told The Daily Star over phone that about Tk 15 lakh from the fund has already been disbursed through a large number of bearer cheques since November 29. “Large number of cheques for small amounts are coming in everyday", said an IBBL official. Regarding the contractors of the RIHS, sources said among over 30 listed contractors, most did not get contracts while a few chosen by Galib and Samad Salafi used to get contracts involving large amounts of money. If the ones without blessings from the top two Ahab bosses would get any contract at all, it would never be for more than Tk 1 lakh while Galib's man Nurul Islam, general secretary of Ahab, got the contract for construction of Gazipur Ahab School near the Ahab orphanage involving Tk 90 lakh. He was arrested along with Galib, but his cheques will be given to a person authorised by him, said sources. Galib also used to get RIHS contracts through his nephew (sister's son) Badrul Alam of Satkhira. Badrul's elder brother Sadrul Alam was arrested in connection with the August 17 blasts in Chittagong. For Samad Salafi, his son-in-law Azizul Bari Mintu, chairman of Nashipur Union Parishad under Gabtali upazila in Bogra, Akmal Hussain of Chapainawabganj and Ahab leader Moffakker Hossain used to get RIHS contracts. Sources said Mintu used to lobby the BNP high-ups for Ahab and RIHS as he had developed relations with them because of his chairmanship of Nashipur, the home union of BNP's founder also former president of the country late Ziaur Rahman. The RIHS and Muslim Aid however, in two separate rejoinders to The Daily Star report dated November 26 and headlined "Terror Financing NGOs Remain Unscathed", denied allegations of their links with Islamist militants. The rejoinder termed the report as false, baseless and motivated.

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Bangladesh

Al-Qaeda NGOs emerge unscathed from Bangla crackdown

2005-11-26

Certain Middle East-based international non-governmental organisations operating in the country are still untouched despite months-old intelligence confirmation of their financing Islamist militant outfits. After the Aug 17 countrywide orchestrated bomb strikes, intelligence reports recommended that the government ban the Kuwait-based Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) and take action against a number of other Middle Eastern NGOs found to be linked with the Islamist extremists. "Arresting the militants and busting their dens are not the only solutions when they continue to enjoy foreign funding," remarked an investigator. Following the arrest of Islamist militant kingpin Asadullah Al-Galib, chief of Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab), intelligence agencies found further evidence of such funding. The investigators recovered a large number of computer documents, diaries, notes, books, booklets, leaflets and audiocassettes from Galib's house, and Ahab offices and madrasas (religious schools) in Rajshahi. Analysing the information retrieved from the documents the investigators arrived at a more or less accurate profile of Galib including his connections with Islamist militants and funding agencies abroad. From confessions and statements of arrested militants, and accounts of expenditures and diaries of militants seized by law enforcers, investigators learned that the banned Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) is implementing plans originally hatched by Ahab and another outlawed group Harkat-ul Jihad (HuJi). The JMB spends roughly Tk 60 lakh (US$91,144) a year for maintaining its full-time leaders and cadres, and Tk 1 to 5 crore (US$151,906-759,532) for buying explosives and firearms and executing attacks, they learned. Intelligence sources said, apart from a seven-member majlish-e-sura, the central governing body, the JMB has 16 regional commanders, 64 district-heads, hundreds of operations commanders and around 200 Ehsars or full-time cadres. Among the operational commanders, Bangla Bhai alone has the distinction of being a member of the majlish-e-sura. The JMB also has a suicide squad. The family of every suicide bomber is slated to get Tk 50,000 to 1 lakh (US$760-1,519) or more in compensation for a "sacrifice". A high-ranking JMB source told The Daily Star he handles Tk 46,000 to Tk 50,000 a month to run his regional network encompassing four districts. Last year JMB chief Abdur Rahman told the media he had a network of 10,000 full-time trained operatives and one lakh (100,000) part-time activists, run with more than US$10,000 a month. The RIHS is on top of the list of suspected donors of the Islamist militants. Following the intelligence recommendation to ban the RIHS, its chief Abdul Aziz Khalaf Malullah of Kuwait visited Dhaka from Aug 14-21. He called on three cabinet members and lobbied for the RIHS. Investigators believe Malullah left a large amount of money with the local RIHS officials. Sources said he has recently sent a letter to the Bureau of NGO Affairs seeking permission for another visit to Bangladesh. On insistence of intelligence agencies, Dhaka Metropolitan Police arrested RIHS director Ekramuzzaman in September but had to release him as he had an anticipatory bail in his possession. In 2002, the US Department of State blacklisted some RIHS offices, citing their support to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda. The RIHS with assistance from Galib constructed over 1000 mosques, 10 madrasas, four orphanages-cum-madrasas and a kidney dialysis centre across the country. The mosques and madrasas were later proved to be centres of militant activities of the JMB. After the Aug 17 blasts, five foreign officials of the RIHS, two Sudanese, two Algerian and one Libyan, left the country under pressure from the government. Before joining the RIHS the five had worked for Al-Haramain in Bangladesh, an NGO banned worldwide for financing al-Qaeda. Bangladesh banned Al-Haramain in July 2004 at requests of the United States and Saudi Arabia. All the 14 foreign officials of Al-Haramain left Bangladesh after the ban. But four of them returned several months later and joined the RIHS secretly. The rest of the NGOs now under close intelligence watch include Rabita Al-Alam Al-Islami, Al-Muntada Al-Islami, Society of Social Reforms, Qatar Charitable Society, Islamic Relief Agency, Al-Forkan Foundation, International Relief Organisation, Kuwait Joint Relief Committee, Muslim Aid Bangladesh, Ar-Rib, Dar Al-Khair, Hayatul Igachha and Tawheed-e-Noor. Galib himself talked about receiving funds from Ar-Rib. All these NGOs have been active in the country since the mid-1990s. The investigators also found that a number of foreigners, who came to Bangladesh from various Middle Eastern and African countries with tourist visa, have been working at these NGOs without the government's permission.

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Bangladesh

Bangla: Crackdown on militant outfits

2005-10-19

In the wake of the recent spate of terror attacks including the August 17 countrywide bomb blasts, the government yesterday banned all activities of another Islamist outfit, Harkatul Jihad Al Islami Bangladesh (HJAIB), for its involvement in religious militancy in the country. Earlier, the government had banned Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) and Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) on February 23 this year for their involvement in "killings, robberies, bomb attacks and misleading youths by exploiting religious sentiment". A press note issued by the Home Ministry said that the action was taken against the Islamist outfit because its activities are "very sensitive" and "it is identified as a terrorist organisation." Harkatul Jihad is a self-styled militant organisation, the press note added. Jihadi activities started in the country with the emergence of Islamist militant group Harkatul Jihad in 1984. Religious zealots Matiur Rahman, Maulana Abdur Rahman Faruki and Mufti Abdul Hannan formed Harkatul Jihad and later they announced the launch of the extremist outfit at a press conference at the National Press Club in 1992. Harkatul Jihad Al Islami Bangladesh (HJAIB) was involved in the August 17 cross country bombings in which two people were killed and more than 200 injured. The Harkatul Jihad planted a powerful bomb near the dais of an Awami League rally at Kotalipara in Gopalganj on July 20, 2000 in a bid to kill the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who was the chief guest at the rally. Police recovered 76 Kg explosives from near the stage. HJAIB was also involved in the bomb attacks on a cultural function at Ramna Batamul marking Pahela Baishakh on April 14, 2001. Some 10 people were killed and about 50 injured in the bloody attack. Harkatul Jihad also carried out bombings on Alalpak Darbar Sharif in Faridpur and Ahmadiya mosque in Khulna. The Islamist outfit also bombed Baniarchar Catholic Church in Gopalganj district on June 3, 2001 leaving 10 people dead, sources said. The activities of militant groups have spread across the country, especially in the northern and south-western regions since 1998. Abdur Rahman formed JMB in 1998 after returning from Afghanistan. The Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (AHAB) was the first open organisation of the JMB. Jagrata Muslim Janata (JMJ) came to the surface in 2001 and the jihadi activities of the dreaded Islamist outfit, including public execution of its rivals in Rajshahi, had sent shockwaves through the country in mid-2004. Its militant campaigns were geared up after the formation of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in 1998, sources in intelligence agencies said. Bomb blast incidents have been plaguing the country since 1999 following the emergence of the JMB. The most dreaded four Islamist militant groups in the country are Harkatul Jihad, Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMJ), Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh and Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB). At least 150 people were killed and about 1,000 others injured in major terror attacks in Bangladesh since 1999. Sources said, the four Islamist militant outfits carried out subversive activities in the country through 500 guerrilla units. Nearly one lakh religious zealots are active in the country for establishing their rule. Terrorism Research Centre, a research organisation under the supervision of CIA (Central Intelligence Agency of America), revealed that Harkatul Jihad, Jamaatul Mujahideen and National Liberation Front of Tripura were responsible for the terror attacks in Bogra and Sirajganj on February 17, 2005, and in Habiganj on January 27, 2005. The three groups were also involved in the terror attacks in Tungipara on October11, in Rajbari on September 28, in Dhaka on September 1 and 6, in Dhaka on August 21, in Sunamganj on June 22 in the year 2004. The three groups were also involved in the attack at Rangamati on February 16, 2001. Earlier on October 1, the elite strike force RAB arrested Mufti Abdul Hannan, the Harkatul Jihad supremo and the mastermind behind the assassination attempt on Sheikh Hasina, along with his wife and four children from a house in the city. Later, Hannan was placed on a 10-day police remand on October 2 in connection with the August 17 bombings in Mohakhali area in the city. He was also taken on a five-day remand for the second time on October 12. The members of the Joint Interrogation Cell (JIC) are now quizzing Mufti Hannan about his involvement in the August 17 bombings and also his links with Shaikh Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai. According to intelligence sources, Hannan disclosed a dozen names of influential political leaders including lawmakers belonging to the ruling four-party alliance under whose supervision he conducted the activities of his terror outfit. But the source declined to give details. During interrogation Hannan said that Dr Asadullah Al Ghalib, chief of Ahle Hadith Andolon, Bangladesh (AHAB), Shaikh Abdur Rahman, supremo of Jamaatul Mujahideen, Bangladesh (JMB) and Siddiqur Rahman alias Bangla Bhai, chief of Jagrata Muslim Janata, Bangladesh (JMJB) had visited his village home at Kotalipara several times, sources said. Hannan said that he himself planted the 76-kg bomb near the dais of the Awami League rally at Kotalipara in Gopalganj on July 20, 2000 in a bid to kill Sheikh Hasina. Hannan also gave information about the possible hideouts of Abdur Rahman and Siddiqur Rahman alias Bangla Bhai.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Bangladesh booms fund by Kuwaiti NGO, ordered by UK holy man

2005-09-04

The Aug. 17 countrywide blasts were planned in mid-April while Kuwait-based organization Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) and an imam of a UK mosque funded the terrorist operation, The Daily Star reported on Saturday. A series of bombs blasted in capital Dhaka and 63 out of 64 districts in Bangladesh on Aug.17, killing two and injuring at least 150 persons. A top official of the Special Branch of police seeking anonymity was quoted by the daily as saying that some important meetings preparatory to the explosions were held in different parts of the country at different times between mid-April and mid-August. The official tasked with probing the blast incident also said the decision on the blasts was finalized after Moulana Ataur Rahman, imam of a mosque in Britain and also the director of Ahle Hadith Library and Information Center at Nagheshwari in northwestern Kurigram district, came to Bangladesh on April 17. Heleft the country on Aug. 20. Soon after returning home, Ataur had had meetings with Abdur Rahman, chief of banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), and Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, operations commander of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), the daily reported. The investigators have obtained the information from three suspects held in Kurigram district. "We are looking into the statements. These are very vital clues," the official was quoted as saying. "We are trying to arrest Abdul Malek, the man who looks after the Ahle Hadith's information centre at Nagheshwari in absence of Ataur. He may give us some significant leads to the investigation," he said. He said Kuwait-based NGO RIHS was one of the key sources of funds needed for staging the near-simultaneous explosions across the country. Recently, the intelligence agencies have recommended banning RIHS for financing the Islamist militants in the country. In a report prepared to suggest ways and means to root out militancy, the agencies have advised the government to close down the organization, as it seems to be more concerned with promoting militancy than protecting Islamic heritage, the daily quoted an intelligence source as saying. The agencies found that the NGO, also known as Jomiatul Ehya-utTuraj, had been accused of rearing Islamist extremists also in Pakistan and Afghanistan. It provided funds to Tawhid Trust and Hadith Foundation, both legally and illegally. Both the recipient organizations were founded by militant kingpin Asadullah Al Galib,the daily said. Intelligence men said Galib, now in jail, and his organization Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab) had been channeling funds toJMB, blamed for the Aug.17 blitz.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Foreign funding behind Bangladesh booms

2005-09-03

Bangladesh authorities said that the Aug 17 natwionwide terror attacks were planned in mid-April and funded by Kuwait-based organisation Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS) and an imam of a British mosque. I guess that's the Islamic heritage they're so intent on reviving... About 460 bombs went off in 63 of Bangladesh's 64 districts that morning, killing two and injuring more than 100. A top official of the police's Special Branch (SB) seeking anonymity said important meetings prior to the explosions were held in Naogaon, Joypurhat, Gaibandha, Kurigram, Lalmonirhat, Chittagong, Barisal, Satkhira and Dhaka at different times between mid-April and mid-August. The official also said the decision to launch the bomb attacks was finalised after Moulana Ataur Rahman, imam of a mosque in Britain and also director of the Ahle Hadith Library and Information Centre at Nagheshwari in Kurigram, came to the country on April 17 and left on Aug 20. Soon after returning home, Ataur had had meetings with Abdur Rahman, chief of banned militant group Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), and Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, operations commander of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB). Investigators obtained the information from three suspects -- Noor Mohammad, Hafez Habibullah, and Shamsul Huda. "We are looking into their statements. These are very vital clues," said the official. "We are trying to arrest Abdul Malek, the man who looks after the Ahle Hadith's information centre at Nagheshwari in absence of Ataur. He may give us some significant leads to the investigation," he added. He said Kuwait's RIHS was one of the key sources of funds necessary to have staged the near-simultaneous explosions across the country. Bangladesh intelligence agencies have recently recommended banning RIHS for financing Islamist militants in the country. I'd call that a pretty good idea. A nice diplonote to Kuwait might help, too. Then there are international arrest warrants for the financiers. Or they could just unleash RAB and have them all meet with unfortunate accidents. In a report prepared to suggest ways and means to root out militancy, the agencies have advised the government to close down the organisation, claiming that it seems to be more concerned with promoting militancy rather than protecting Islamic heritage, said an intelligence source. The two being the same, they probably don't see a conflict... The agencies found that the NGO, also known as Jomiatul Ehya-ut Turaj, had been accused of rearing Islamist extremists in Pakistan and Afghanistan as well. It provided funds to Tawhid Trust and Hadith Foundation, both legally and illegally. Both the recipient organisations were founded by militant kingpin Asadullah Al Galib. Intelligence men said Galib, now in jail, and his organisation Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (Ahab) had been channelling funds to JMB, blamed for the Aug 17 blitz. Following statements from Noor, Habib and Shamsul, police raided Ahle Hadith Library and Information Centre at Nagheswari on Wednesday (Aug 31) and recovered six books titled Islam ebong Attaghati Mussalman (Islam and suicidal Muslims). But caretaker Abdul Malek managed to evade capture. Police also raided the Nageshwari house of Abu Bakar, a Dhaka city unit leader of Islami Oikya Andolon, and recovered banners and leaflets championing Islamic movement and documents of RIHS.

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Afghanistan/South Asia

Dhaka Grills Three More Militants

2005-03-05

Bangladesh has frozen the accounts of Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh (AHAB) against the backdrop of its suspected links withoutlawed Islamist militant outfits. The move came just one day after the closing of the personal account of Dr. Asadullah Al-Ghalib, chief of the banned Jamaatul Mujahedeen and also the chief of a faction of Ahle Hadith Movement now arrested and undergoing intensive interrogation by army-led Joint Interrogation Cell in Dhaka. Meanwhile, three aides of Dr. Ghalib were sent to Dhaka from Gopalganj on Thursday for interrogation at the Joint Interrogation Cell. All the three men, Abdus Samad Salafi, A.S.M. Azizullah and Nurul Islam, were being interrogated at the cell yesterday. The outcome of the interrogation could not be known as the investigators remained tight-lipped. However, a source said that the investigators were examining the computer disks and documents seized from the Ahle Hadith office in Rajshahi on Wednesday. The police were also in the hunt for recovery of more documents from the office in Rajshahi and elsewhere in the northern region. Heavy police guard had escorted the three aides of Ghalib to Dhaka. The three arrestees were brought to Gopalganj from Rajshahi jail on Tuesday and the police took them on a 10-day remand on Wednesday. They were shown arrested in a case filed with Kotalipara police station of the district in connection with a robbery at an office of leading development organization Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee (BRAC) in January. Meanwhile, the militants of Bangla Bhai, another aide of Ghalib, sent letters to 10 journalists of Lalmonirhat district with death threats. Receiving the letters, the worried journalists registered a general diary with Lalmonirhat police station seeking security for them. If they're actually doing terrible things to the right people, this is as significant as Lebanon.

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