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Bangladesh

Raid raid JMB chief's flat

2010-05-25

The flat raided by law-enforcers Sunday night was a den of banned Islamist outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh and the arrestee was its military wing chief Shiblu, claimed police. Police have picked up Shiblu's parents and two siblings for squeezing quizzing and recovered nine more homemade grenades from the flat. Additional Superintendent of Police Zannatul Hasan of the police headquarters said they had information that Shiblu took over the charge of JMB explosive unit after the arrest of former chief Boma Mizan last year. He said Shiblu set up his den there to make explosives for JMB, which is trying to regroup again. Sources say that a 21-member team consisted of police headquarters, Kadamtoli police and Special Branch of police raided the flat to capture Maulana Saidur Rahman, the current JMB chief. Detained Shiblu, however, identified himself as Abu Bakkar Siddique and an operative of banned Islamist outfit Harkatul-Jihad (Huji). Either way he's a dead man walking ... Zannatul, who led the operation Sunday, told The Daily Star that the name of detained JMB explosive unit chief might be Abu Bakkar Siddique but he took the pseudonyms Nazrul alias Shiblu in his organisation. The JMB version of a cut-out? Shiblu was undergoing treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital with burn injuries. He was wounded when a homemade grenade exploded in his hands as he was trying to flee by hurling grenades and firing shots at the police Sunday night. The police were raiding the JMB den at South Dania. Burned hands? That's gotta hurt. Always the chance for sepsis ... It appears the Bangladeshi bomb-makers are as incompetent as the Pakistani ones. Djinn-based chemistry fails again. Rab Director (intelligence wing) Lt Col Ziaul Ahsan, however, said as per the information they have, there is no one named Abu Bakkar Siddique or Shiblu at the helm of the military wing of JMB. "If he is taken in TFI [taskforce interrogation cell] for interrogation, we would be able to confirm the identity," he said. Right before they shoot him ... "Who was that incompetent bomb maker?" asked the awed crowd. Additional SP Zannatul reiterated that they had information that JMB operatives have been regrouping again to carry out subversive activities and Shiblu was the chief of the explosives unit. At least 10 people including eight policemen and Shiblu were injured during the raid at the den on the second floor of a four-storey building at Shahjalalbagh of South Dania. Three other militants escaped by hurling bombs at law enforcers. The police also recovered books on jihad and pamphlets that mentioned the name of executed JMB chief Shaekh Abdur Rahman, sources said. Rab and police sources said executed Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai was the first military wing commander of JMB. After Bangla Bhai became the second-in-command of the militant organisation, JMB chief executed Shaikh Abdur Rahman's brother Ataur Rahman Sunny was given the charge of the military wing. Sunny was arrested on December 14, 2005, and Mizan alias Boma Mizan took over the charge. After Mizan's arrest on May 15, 2009, Shiblu took up the job, said sources. Rab officials said Maulana Saidur Rahman took the outfit's helm after Abdur Rahman and five others were executed in 2006. Those burnt hands suggest the Rab have gotten inside the JMB's training cycle. Well done, lads!

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Bangladesh

3 suspected LeT men remanded

2009-11-07

[Bangla Daily Star] Three suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba leaders, arrested with links to a plot to attack the US embassy in Dhaka, were placed on a two-day remand yesterday. The Detective Branch of police produced Mufti Harun Izahar, son of Islami Oikya Jote leader Mufti Izaharul Islam, Shahidul Islam and Al Amin alias Saiful before the metropolitan magistrate's court seeking their 10-day remand, said Sanwar Hossain, Assistant Commissioner of DB. He said the arrestees needed to be remanded for obtaining crucial information about the plot, their network and the people involved in it. Detectives arrested the three at Jameyatul Ulum Madrasa on a hill at Lalkhan Bazar in Chittagong on Wednesday night. They were brought to Dhaka Thursday night. Lashkar-e-Taiba works for banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji). Meanwhile, Izaharul Islam, chairman of an IOJ faction, protested the arrest of his son Harun Izahar and the two others denying their involvement with LeT or Huji. Izaharul, also founder of the madrasa, said his son Harun established Al Iman Academy, an Islamic kindergarten, at South Khulshi in the port city. He said the two other arrestees are former students of the madrasa and now work as teachers at his son's school. DB officials said Izahar, along with another suspect, did recce of the US embassy area several times to devise an attack plan. They also detected several calls the three made to several Pakistani militant leaders. Pakistani national Abdur Rahman, detained in his home country this week with links to militancy, transferred money to the bank account of Mufti Harun's brother Faizur Rahman, said DB sources. Izaharul told The Daily Star that both the madrasa and school receive donations from sources at home and abroad. Asked about the money sent from Pakistan, the IOJ leader said he was unaware of the matter.

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Bangladesh

Mufti Hannan, 13 other Huji men indicted for Ramna blasts

2009-04-17

[Bangla Daily Star] Eight years into the Ramna Batamul blast, a Dhaka court yesterday framed charges against 14 operatives of outlawed Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji) including its chief Mufti Abdul Hannan in two cases filed in connection with the incident. Metropolitan Sessions Judge ANM Bashir Ullah rejected the discharge petitions submitted by the counsels for Hannan and five others and framed charges against all 14 accused. Ten people were killed and scores injured in the blast at Ramna Batamul during Pahela Baishakh celebrations on April 14, 2001. Following the carnage, two cases -- one for murder and the other for possession and use of explosive substances -- were filed with the Ramna Police Station. List of names at the link: you don't know any of them ... All five arrestees were produced before the court amid tight security. Akbar was also present at the court. They pleaded not guilty after the charges brought against them were read out. Moulana Tajuddin, younger brother of former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu, and seven other accused have been absconding since filing of the cases. Charges were framed against them in absentia. The court fixed April 28, 29 and 30 for trial of the case filed under the Explosive Substances Act and set May 3, 4 and 5 for trial of the murder case. It also summoned complainants in the cases to appear before it on the scheduled dates. Both the prosecution and the defence had earlier completed hearing on charge framing. The prosecution argued that the charges brought against the accused were primarily proved and they be charged with carrying out the bomb attack. But the defence prayed for clearing their clients of the charges saying the charges brought against them were false, fabricated and baseless. On December 30 last year, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) pressed charges against Huji chief Mufti Abdul Hannan and 13 others for committing the offence. CID Inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf, investigation officer (IO) in both the cases, submitted the charge sheets to the Dhaka Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court showing 84 people as prosecution witnesses. Following the incident, Akbar was arrested for his alleged involvement in the blast. He gave a confessional statement to a magistrate disclosing Mufti Hannan's involvement in the incident. The investigation remained incomplete although it got a boost after the caretaker government came to power. During investigation, three others including Hannan and Jewel gave confessional statements to magistrates on different dates. The charge sheets said the Huji members orchestrated the attack at their headquarters and the Saat Gambuj Mosque, both located in the capital's Mohammadpur. Suman, Jewel, Johnny and Sujan carried the bombs to Ramna Park that day. Posing as decorators, they entered the park through the gate adjacent to the National Tennis Complex at around 4:00am. Johnny detonated the bombs by remote control. The charge sheets also said Ramna Batamul, where thousands of people gather to celebrate the Bangla New Year, was chosen as the target because Huji considers Pahela Baishakh celebrations anti-Islamic. Moulana Tajuddin supplied the bombs. He also supplied grenades for carrying out the attack on an Awami League rally on Bangabandhu Avenue on August 21, 2004.

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Bangladesh

Mufti Hannan, 13 other Huji men charged

2008-12-01

Over seven and a half years after the Ramna Batamul blast, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) yesterday pressed charges against 14 operatives of banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad Al Islami (Huji) in two cases filed for the carnage. CID Inspector Abu Hena Mohammad Yusuf, investigation officer (IO) in both cases, submitted the charge sheets before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate's Court in Dhaka. The bloodbath that took place during Pahela Baishakh celebrations on April 14, 2001 left 10 people dead and scores injured. Of the cases filed with Ramna Police Station, one was for murder and the other for possession and use of explosive substances. At a press briefing following the submission of charge sheets, CID chief Additional Inspector General Mohammad Javed Patwari said some 22 Huji members were directly involved in the blast. But charges have been pressed against 14 as addresses of the remaining eight were not found. A supplementary charge sheet, he added, would be submitted against the eight after getting their full addresses. The charge-sheeted accused are Mufti Abdul Hannan Munshi alias Abul Kalam, Arif Hasan Suman alias Abdur Razzak, Moulana Akbar Hossain alias Helaluddin, Shahadat Ullah alias Jewel, Moulana Abu Taher, Moulana Abdur Rauf, Moulana Mohammad Tajuddin, Moulana Abdul Hannan Sabbir, Moulana Shawkat Osman alias Sheikh Farid, Hafez Jahangir Alam Badar, Moulana Abu Bakar alias Selim Hawlader, Mufti Shafiqur Rahman, Moulana Yahiya and Mufti Abdul Hye. Of them, Hannan, Suman, Akbar, Jewel, Abu Taher and Rauf are behind bars and the others are still at large. CID sources said the six Huji detainees stand accused in some other blast cases as well. Akbar, Mufti Hannan and Jewel have confessed to a court their involvement in the attacks including the August 21 grenade blasts on an Awami League rally. The additional inspector general said the Huji members had planned the attack at their headquarters and Saat Gambuz Mosque, both located in the city's Mohammadpur area. Suman, Jewel, Johnny and Sujan carried the bombs to Ramna Park that day. Posing as decorators, they entered through the gate adjacent to the National Tennis Complex at around 4:00am. Johnny detonated the bomb by remote control. The CID chief said Ramna Batamul, where people pour in to celebrate the Bengali New Year, had been chosen as the target because the Huji considers Pahela Boishakh revels anti-Islamic. The bombs were supplied by Moulana Tajuddin. Former deputy minister and BNP leader Abdus Salam Pintu's younger brother, he also supplied grenades for the August 21 grenade attack.

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Bangladesh

Charge sheet against Huji cadres Abu Zandal, Gharami

2008-05-30

A Satkhira court yesterday framed charges against Zandal and Gharami, operatives of banned Islamist outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji), for possession of 44 grenades. The two accused -- Moin Uddin alias Abu Zandal and Nazrul Islam Gharami -- were brought from Dhaka and produced before the court yesterday amid tight security for hearing of the case. Judge Ashish Ranajn Das of the District and Sessions Judge's Court passed the order and fixed June 4 and 5 for recording of statements from prosecution witnesses in the case, said court sources. Zandal, a close aide to Huji chief Mufti Hannan who led the August 21, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League (AL) rally in Dhaka, was arrested from Gazipur on February 14 this year. Following the leads gathered from Zandal, Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) the next morning arrested Gharami from Nalta bazar in Kaliganj upazila. The same day, upon receiving confessional statement from Gharami, the Rab recovered 44 grenades from a pond at Shimulia village in Debhata. Rab sources said the grenades recovered from the Shimulia pond are identical to the ones used in the attack on the AL rally on August 21. On February 15, Tariqul Islam, sub-inspector of Rab 6, filed the case with Debhata Police Station against Zandal and Gharami for possession of the grenades. Inspector Lokman Hakim, the investigation officer of the case and also officer in charge of Debhata Police Station, submitted charge sheet before the Satkhira Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court against the two accused on March 17.

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