| Bangladesh |
| Notorious Islamist groups HT and HuT regrouping in Bangladesh |
| 2010-02-01 |
| Though Bangladesh government banned the activities of notorious Islamist militancy group Hizbut Tahrir in October, 2009, defying such government order, members of Hizbut Tahrir [HT] are continuing their activities including orientation courses, publication, symposiums etc. The group is even taking necessary preparations for filling writ petition with Bangladesh Supreme Court challenging the ban order. On the occasion of Indian trip of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Hizbut Tahrir published a 18-page pamphlet criticizing the trip and terming the ruling party in Bangladesh as 'agent of India'. Hizbut Tahrir in this pamphlet called on the people for launching massive demonstrations against the government for 'leasing out the country to India.' Chhatra Moitri [Student's Friendship], the student wing of this notorious Islamist group has resumed the publication of its regular journal named Paribarta [Change]. According to information, HT is maintaining 10 reader's forums in Bangladesh. Dhaka University chapter of this unit sits every Saturday at 5 pm at its Central Office at 234 Khairunnesa Bhaban, Kataban, Elephant Road, Dhaka. North-South University chapter of this unit sits on every Tuesday at Banani mosque in Dhaka. Khilgaon unit of the reader's forum of Hizbut Tahrir sits every Monday at 6-30-A B/391 Khilgaon Chowdhury Para, Malibagh, Dhaka. There are a number of reader's forum of this Islamist militancy group, which is continuing their activities on a regular basis in various parts of Dhaka and the country. Members of intelligence agencies and law enforcing agencies are showing extreme reluctance in taking any action against such illegal activities of this group. Hizbut Tahrir's kingpin in Bangladesh, Professor Mohiuddin Ahmed is still under virtual house arrest. His personal bank accounts are already freezed while his relatives are not allowed to visit him. Commenting on this 'house arrest' Hizbut Tahrir's joint convener Monirul Islam told a vernacular daily that, they will soon launch massive movements in the country to uproot democracy and establish Caliphate rule. Meanwhile, another notorious Islamist militancy group named Hizbut Towhid [HuT], which also preaches Caliphate rule and terms democracy as 'law of devil' is getting organized in various parts of Bangladesh as well a number of cities in the world, with the goal of waging 'war against Jews and Christians'. This group's kingpin Selim Panni is continuing to publish several books and DVDs with provocative sermons thus giving instigations of Jihad [Holy War] to the people. He [Panni] terms Jews and Christians as 'enemies of Allah' and preaches his followers in killing Jews and Christians with the goal of establishing 'Allah's rule in the world'. It is reported that Hizbut Towhid members are already spreading in different parts of the world with Jihadist indoctrination. It is even learnt that Hizbut Towhid kingpin Selim Panni gives instructions to his followers in keeping sword in their possession, with the aim of getting ready for war against 'Jews, Christians and forces of democracy'. Bangladesh government is yet to take any action against Hizbut Towhid for reason unknown. This group is allowed to continued its notorious anti-democracy activities in various parts of the country. |
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| Bangladesh |
| Over 33 militant outfits active |
| 2009-04-26 |
| [Bangla Daily Star] The number of active militant organisations in the country might be much higher than 12, which was earlier mentioned in a home ministry report, home ministry sources said. Sources in the ministry said intelligence officials have already gathered information on the active militant organisations following directives from the ministry. "The agencies are now analysing the information they gathered," State Minister for Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj told The Daily Star yesterday. He said the list would be updated. Sources in Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) say that there are at least 33 organisations still conducting militant activities in the country. A top law enforcer involved in preparing the report said the number of militant organisations active in the country might be much higher than 12 as mentioned in the home ministry's earlier report which was placed before the cabinet meeting on March 16. The cabinet had rejected the report saying it was incomplete and asked the ministry to submit a fresh report mentioning how the militants are funded, information about their networks, process of recruitment, their patrons and local and international links. The report was prepared during the caretaker government's rule. Sources said the intelligence officials are now working to prepare the report and they have identified five NGOs, which are either funding militancy or are active in militancy. The source, however, did not disclose the names of the NGOs. Sohel Taj said it might take a couple of weeks more to table the report before the cabinet. The report will have complete information about the patrons of militants, their funding, present activities, their organogram, their operations, recruitment system, international connections and training. The names of the 12 outfits mentioned in the earlier report are: Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Harkat-ul Jihad al Islami (Huji), Hizbut Towhid>Hizbut Towhid, Ulama Anjuman al Baiyenat, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Islami Democratic Party, Islami Samaj, Touhid Trust, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), Shahadat-e-al-Hikma, Tamira ud-Din Bangladesh (Hizb-e-Abu Omar) and Allahr Dal. Of those, JMB, Huji, JMJB and Shahadat-e-al-Hikma are banned. Even though JMB launched its vigilante operation in Rajshahi regions with the name JMJB, the report enlisted the JMJB as a separate active militant outfit. The home ministry has formed a 17-member committee headed by Sohel Taj to tackle militancy. Representatives from different ministries concerned are in the committee. The main objective of the committee would be to mobilise public opinion against militancy and create awareness so that there could be a social resistance against militant activities. |
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| Bangladesh | ||||
| Hizbut Towhid regrouping | ||||
| 2006-08-30 | ||||
 Cadres of Hizbut Towhid, an Islamist militant outfit, are regrouping in remote areas of Tangail district.
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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Inside Banglaâs Jihadi Groups - They go free too easily |
| 2005-08-26 |
A day after the August 17 serial blasts, Lutfor Rahman was caught by police at Thakurgaon for suspected links to the bombings. Records showed he was arrested twice in 2000 and 2001 for taking military training at an Ahle Hadith mosque in the district.  Despite having specific evidence against him of being a militant, police detained him for 'suspicious activities.' He was soon released because of lack of any specific charges against him. Lutfor continued his militant activities. Lutfor is only one case in point. Like him, at least 500 Islamist militants have been released on similar grounds in the past four years. Many of them were arrested several times in the act of terrorist activities, and yet no specific charges were brought against them and they were all left off the hook. In late 1996, some 40 militants were arrested with dummy rifles while taking arms training at a Barguna Qwami madrasa. They were almost immediately released as police said they were engaged in 'preaching Islam'. On June 30, 2004, 33 militants were arrested at a mosque in Barguna, which made international headlines. Police found booklets on jihad in their possession. Charges were brought against six of them while the rest were released immediately. Even those six were later freed on bail. One thing has become clear from the arrest and release stories: despite having specific evidence, police remain reluctant to bring any specific charges against the militants. In many cases, evidence was deliberately or mysteriously destroyed or witnesses barred from appearing before court to testify. Jagrata Muslim Janata of Bangladesh (JMJB) chief Siddiqul Islam, nicknamed Bangla Bhai, is a glaring example of how militants have repeatedly escaped police dragnets and subsequently waged a reign of terror with backing from ruling party lawmakers. He was first arrested along with five others for attacking an Awami League leader in Mollarhat in Bagerhat on August 17, 2002. As villagers chased him, he took shelter in a house from where he was later caught with arms and militant documents. But police dropped Bangla Bhai's name from a charge sheet and no specific charges were brought against the rest. Rather, police termed him 'an Islamic scholar'. All the criminals were later freed. Bangla Bhai was later held at Joypurhat while mobilising militants to attack another house. Again he was freed. Others have similarly flourished while evading arrest. On February 23, 2003 banned Al Hiqma leader Azimuddin and Azhar Ali Bhuian were arrested but against no charges were brought against them. Seven JMB militants were arrested at Kalai of Bogra on April 25, 2003, but police let them go without filing any case against them. Police arrested three leaders of Al Hiqma in Rajshahi for involvement in anti-state activities on February 15, 2003. A case was filed under the arms act but the name of their organisation was not mentioned in the case. They were later freed on bail. In August 2003, five militants of Hizbut Towhid were arrested in Gazipur, but they were sent to jail without any case. Police arrested four other Hizbut Tawhid men in Kushtia for killing a woman in September 2003 but no case was filed against them either. Snipped many more examples |
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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Inside Banglaâs Jihadi Groups - Gained experience overseas |
| 2005-08-25 |
| First in a series being run by the Daily Star A deep pocket filled by oil rich hands, virtually unrelenting access to arms, an insidious nexus with mainstream political parties and the government's blind eye to them -- the deadly concoction that have made it possible for the religious terrorist groups to thrive in Bangladesh. The Daily Star investigation spread over several months has found over 30 religious militant organisations have set up their network across the country since 1989 with the central objective of establishing an Islamic state. These militant organisations are Harkatul Jihad, Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Jagrata Muslim Janata, Bangladesh (JMJB), Islami Biplobi Parishad, Shahadat Al Hiqma, Hizbut Towhid, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Ahle Hadith Andolon, Towhidi Janata, Bishwa Islami Front, Juma'atul Sadat, Al Jomiatul Islamia, Iqra Islami Jote, Allahr Dal, Al Khidmat Bahini, Al Mujhid, Jama'ati Yahia Al Turag, Jihadi Party, Al Harkat al Islamia, Al Mahfuz Al Islami, Jama'atul Faladia, Shahadat-e-Nabuwat, Joish-e-Mostafa, Tahfize Haramaine Parishad, Hizbul Mojahedeen, Duranta Kafela and Muslim Guerrilla. Many of their activists are Afghanistan and Palestinian war veterans who fought there after receiving training in Pakistan, Libya and Palestine. After returning to Bangladesh, these militants scattered over the country and started militant activities since the early 1990s. Sources said over 200 Bangladeshi Jihadis were killed and 500 wounded in battles in Afghanistan, Lebanon and Palestine. I'd expect many of these are sisters orgs to the Pak Jihadis, certainly the bewildering number of groups with an identical ideology seem inspired by their western cousins. When they returned from foreign frontiers, a number of them set up madrasas as cover, mainly toeing the Qwami line, which is the more orthodox system of Islamic education and needs no government registration. They chose the forests of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, mosques and the Qwami madrasas mainly in the north to train their activists. They also set up their network in Dhaka, starting from Kamrangir-char, and later spreading to Kafrul, Adabar, Shekhertek, Basila and Demra. Operating under different names, the groups maintain close contact with each other. Although the intelligence agencies had made various reports on these militant groups and recommended their bans, the government remained mysteriously silent since 2002. Rather, some militants arrested at various places with evidence of subversive activities got free as the cases against them were not properly pursued. The conservative BNP government and her Islamist allies are soft on the Jihadis, if you read all those Crossfire reports, the RAB almost exlusively targets left-wing extremists - the opposition Awami League being seen as close to the leftists. In the wake of the recent bomb blasts, The Daily Star investigation found most JMB and JMJB leaders were in the past members of the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student front of ruling coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh. Sources said the militants hide their identity by using the names of different organisations. Many have joined the Tablighi Jamaat, the religious movement supposed to be non-violent and non-political. Whenever the militant groups come under police suspicion, they quickly change name to continue their activities. The JMB is a case in point that has so far changed names 18 times, intelligence sources said. By their own claims, the militant groups have some 10 lakh (one hundred thousand) members across the country. An intelligence report says about 80,000 of them took training in arms and explosives. Only the JMB has 10,000 full-timers, 1lakh part-timers and 10 lakh trainees. JMJB leader Bangla Bhai on May 12 last year claimed in an interview with The Daily Star that he has over 30,000 activists working in 57 districts. Harkat-ul Jihad (Huji) has over 25,000 trained activists, according to some Huji men. But intelligence source says the claim is exaggerated and the organisation has around 15,000 members who are now working for different Islamic parties after crackdown on the group in 1999. Each group has various wings -- the largest looking after publicity and recruitment, the wing that takes armed training is comparatively small. Another branch works as 'intelligence wing', mixing up with the common people and activists of other parties and attending political and cultural programmes. |
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