Asadullah Al Galib | Asadullah Al Galib | Ahle Hadith Andolan Bangladesh | Bangladesh | 20050908 | ||||
Asadullah Al Galib | Hadith Foundation | Afghanistan/South Asia | 20050903 | |||||
Asadullah Al Galib | Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh | Afghanistan/South Asia | 20050903 | |||||
Asadullah Al Galib | Tawhid Trust | Afghanistan/South Asia | 20050903 |
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 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 |
![]() 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 |
![]() 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 |
JMB men held in Naogaon active members of Jamaat |
2009-04-16 |
[Bangla Daily Star] The three JMB suspects held with jihadi publications in Naogaon on Tuesday are members of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, police said. Abdul Karim, 28, a bakery employee, is the president of Shikarpur union Jamaat in Sadar upazila, Naogaon. On the other hand, Shahadat Ali, 32, a tailor, and Hafez Faruk Hossain, 28, a teacher of Shikarpur Hafezia Madrasa, are Jamaat activists, according to police and local Jamaat leaders. The police say the arrestees have confessed to having links with outlawed militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) under Jamaat cover. The three were plotting to carry out subversive activities on Pahela Baishakh, the police add. Acting on a tip off, the police arrested Abdul Karim of Chalk Kalidas in Alupatti, Naogaon on Tuesday. Following his statements, the police raided Shahadat's house and arrested the three. The police also seized over 50 jihadi publications including books written by militant kingpin-suspect and Ahle Hadith Andolan Bangladesh (Ahab) chief Dr Asadullah Al Galib. There were also books published by Jamaat and Islami Chhatra Shibir. "The three were arrested following specific information of their active involvement with JMB," said M Mofazzel Hossain, superintendent of police in Naogaon, over phone. Madrasa teacher Faruk had sheltered JMB leader Minhajul Islam, who has been handed down death sentence in the August 17 blast case in Naogaon, say the police, adding Minhajul got a job at Shikarpur Hafezia Madrasa on Faruk's recommendation. Shahadat and Karim were engaged in luring youths to JMB and jihad against the country by distributing books among them. They both were also engaged in collecting funds for JMB, the police inform. Soon after the arrests, a number of Jamaat leaders including Sadar Jamaat Ameer Abdur Rahman and Naogaon municipal Jamaat nayeb-e ameer Aynul Haque rushed to Naogaon Sadar police station. As the Jamaat leaders requested the police for the arrestees' release in presence of the Naogaon SP, they were kept confined for three hours and later released with the undertaking that they won't do so in future. The local Jamaat leaders denied the arrestees' link with JMB and said their arrest is "conspiracy" against the party and Islam. Jamaat leader Abdur Rahman said local Awami League leaders threatened them with such fate if they didn't stop politics just a day before the arrest. "Faruk and Shahadat are active Jamaat workers. They used to hold regular meetings and maintain report cards. They were falsely blamed as JMB activists," said Aynul Haque. Replying to a question, Haque said they have yet to find any JMB activists inside their party. "We are sure of the three arrestees that they have no relations with JMB." |
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Bangladesh |
8 JMB men charged with Prof Yunus murder at RU |
2009-02-20 |
A Rajshahi court yesterday framed charges against eight operatives of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in the long anticipated Rajshahi University (RU) teacher Muhammad Yunus murder case. The second court of Additional District Judge Lutfa Begum framed charges in the murder case in presence of all the eight accused in dock. The accused include Shafiullah Tarek (a follower of militant kingpin Asadullah Al Galib) and Shahidullah Mahbub (husband of the executed JMB leader Siddiqul Islam Bangla Bhai's niece). Both of them were the mastermind behind the murder, say the charges. The other accused are JMB's regional commanders -- Abu Isa Enamul and Golamur Rahman Mostafa, an adherent of Galib's Ahle Hadith Jubo Shangha, militants Abul Kashem Tufan, Abdul Matin, Abdur Rahman Arif and Mojibur Rahman. The framing of charges had been deferred since July last year as some of the accused were being tried in other cases outside Rajshahi. Inspector Mohammad Helauddin of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) submitted the charge sheet against the eight September 10, 2007. In the latest charge sheet, CID police brushed aside previous police findings of Shibir's involvement in the murder though two eyewitnesses in separate judicial statements narrated Shibir cadres' involvement. Names of some 13 accused including six cadres of Islami Chhatra Shibir were dropped in the CID charge sheet. Helaluddin said, the investigation took a new turn following confessional statement of executed JMB chief Abdur Rahman. Later, two prime accused -- Shafiullah Tarek and Shahidullah Mahbub made judicial confessions. Yunus, a professor of economics, was killed on December 24, 2004 while on a morning walk near his Binodhpur residence. He was the president of RU Bangabandhu Parishad and senior vice-president of Bangladesh Economic Association. Abdul Halim, the victim's brother who filed the murder case with Motihar Police Station said, "The murder was pre-planned and occurred over political vengeance." The charges say Yunus was murdered for being an atheist and abettor of underground communist activities. A group of 10 assassins committed the murder of whom Ibrahim died in 2005 while another could not be identified, the charges add. |
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Bangladesh | |
Militant kingpin Galib freed on bail | |
2008-08-29 | |
![]() Since his arrest on February 23, 2005, a total of ten cases were filed against the militant kingpin and a close ally of executed Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Shayekh Abdur Rahman. However, during the then BNP-Jamaat alliance government, Galib was relieved of charges in six of the cases and was granted bail in another case. On July 26, during the term of the present government, a Gaibandha court declared him not guilty in an explosives case. Six months back, the HC ordered that Galib would be awarded bail in two other cases (one for explosions in Shahjahanpur and the other for murdering a person in the explosions) unless the trial of the murder case is completed within three months and the trial of the explosion case in six months. Galib was released on bail at around 5:30pm yesterday following the HC order as both the trials could not be held in time. GALIB'S MILITANT TIES In 1978, Galib formed Ahab's youth wing Ahle Hadith Jubo Shangha (AHJS), said AHJS workers. While forming the AHJS, Galib argued that they needed to engage in Jihad against Islamic fallacies including the mazar culture to bring an Islamic rule in the country.
The mainstream organisation Ahab was formed in late 1994. With Galib's help and funds from Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS), the JMB militants used 700 mosques across the country. The bank accounts of RIHS in Pakistan were seized after the 9/11 incident. Galib toured Afghanistan, India and Pakistan with fake travel documents. He had close relations with Islamist militants in Kashmir. He visited India in 1998 with a business passport. Police and intelligence sources said Ahab is just a cover-up of the JMB and most of the Ahab members are involved in JMB activities. Militants arrested in Thakurgaon, Joypurhat, Bogra and Natore told police that Galib was their leader and he used to meet with them at Ahle Hadith mosques. JMB chief Rahman and Ahab Amir Galib were well-known to each other. Rahman studied at Medina University in Saudi Arabia on Galib's recommendation and after completing his course, he joined with Galib. | |
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Bangladesh | |
Rajshahi mayor-elect visits den of militant kingpin | |
2008-08-13 | |
Even before taking oath, Rajshahi mayor-elect and Awami League leader AHM Khairuzzaman Liton has drawn considerable controversy for his activities like visiting the den of militant-kingpin Asadullah Al Galib.
He visited central offices of Galib's outfit Ahle Hadith Andolon, Bangladesh (Ahab), its youth front Ahle Hadith Jubo Sangha (AHJS) and Ahab-run Al Markajul Islami As-Salafi Madrasa in Nawdapara on Sunday and was accorded a reception. An AHJS press release says Liton in his speech observed that Ahab and AHJS [suspected militant outfits] leaders and workers faced atrocities during BNP-Jamaat rule as Galib and his men were detained over "false" accusation. The release also claims Liton demanded Galib's release as none of the cases against him was proved. Acting Ahab Ameer Shayekh Abdus Samad Salafi chaired the reception. Ahab Organising Secretary and AHJS Central President ASM Azizullah were present. Salafi and Azizullah were arrested with Ahab chief Galib in February in 2005 on charge of scheming militancy and the outfit's connections with different international militant outfits. Among others, councillor-elect Shahadat Hossain Sahu, Ahab-run monthly At Tahreek editor Dr Muhammad Shakhawat Hussain and Rajshahi Ahab chief Abul Kalam Azad were present during the reception. Some arrested militants of the outlawed Jama'atul Mujahideen, Bangladesh (JMB) across the country have named Galib as their supreme leader. "He [Liton] has now become mayor of all citizens and so he can look after everyone's well-being. But the news is alarming if the mayor's relation with militant outfits is deep," said Rajshahi district Awami League chief Tajul Islam M Faruk. "We wanted a clear stance regarding militancy from the mayor hopefuls before the election. As none of them gave us [voters] their opinion, they are now taking the opportunity," said Abdul Bari, a voter and victim of JMB torture. Liton also drew flak from party men for visiting the house of Rafi-us Shams, a former general secretary of Rajshahi District Sports Association on August 6. Shams is an accused in a graft case for misappropriation of around Tk 22 lakh from the association fund. | |
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Bangladesh |
11 JMB men get life for sedition |
2008-04-18 |
A Rajshahi divisional court yesterday awarded life terms to all 11 militants of Jama'aul Mujahidin, Bangladesh (JMB) in a sedition case filed for taking combat training to fight against the state in 2005. Judge M Sajedul Karim of the first court of Rajshahi divisional special judge also fined the accused Tk 20,000 each, in default of which they are to spend two more years in jail. The convicts include Enamul Haque and Golamur Rahman alias Golam Mostafa, both regional JMB commanders and followers of executed militant leader Siddikul Islam Bangla Bhai and arrested militant kingpin Asadullah Al Galib respectively. The others sentenced are Rajshahi University Arabic student Ibrahim Hossain, madrassah teacher Jaharul Islam, madrassah students Merajul Islam, Shah Wali Ullah, Zakir Hossain, Mansur Rahman, Biplob Hossain, Abu Zafar and Mozammel Hossain. They were arrested from Mozammel's house at Puthiapara in Paba upazila on July 18, 2005 while they undergoing combat training. Police recovered diaries and notes from them including details on 'restricted military training on arms, ammunition and detonators', guerrilla warfare and revolutionary Islamic slogans and songs for Jihad. The training included making simple and sophisticated bombs including time bombs and remote control bombs, operating rifles, etc. Local and foreign personnel provided the trainings, according to the prosecution. After investigation, sub-inspector Zahidul Islam, the then officer-in-charge of Paba police station, lodged a sedition case with a magistrate court on September 4, 2005 and pressed charges against them on February 6, 2006. Delivering the judgement the court said, prosecution allegations that the militants were engaged in anti-state activities and that they had been receiving 'exclusive combat training on arms, ammunition and detonators' with ulterior motives against the state was proved without any doubt. The court examined a total of eight prosecution witnesses in the case and evidence recovered from possessions of the accused. One of the sentenced militants, Mozammel, hurled abuses at the police and journalists after the sentence was read out. |
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Bangladesh | |||
13 militants handed life term | |||
2006-05-15 | |||
![]() The convicted are: a former Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh president of Khetlal union Montezar Rahman, Azizul Bari Mintu, madrasa teacher Mehdi Hasan, Majnu Mia, rickshaw-puller Atoar Rahman, Dulal alias Hares, Shariful Islam, Nazmul Hossain, Abdur Rouf, Mansur Rahman, Rabiul Islam, Zahangir Alam and Golam Mostafa. Among the convicted Montezar, Mehdi Hasan, Mansur and Shariful are absconding.
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Bangladesh | |
Ahab demands release of Galib | |
2006-04-19 | |
Ahle Hadith Andolan Bangladesh (Ahab) leaders at a public meeting on Monday night threatened to launch tougher programmes if its four top leaders, including its chief Asadullah Al Galib, were not released from jail before May 25.
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Bangladesh |
JMB supremo profile |
2006-03-02 |
Self-styled as shaekh (spiritual leader), Abdur Rahman is the chief of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), erstwhile Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) that has been operating in the country secretly since 1998. Born in Charshi Khalifapara village of Jamalpur Sadar upazila, Rahman, aged around 50, joined Islami Chhatra Shibir and later Jamaat-e-Islami when he was a student. He studied at Madina Islami University in Saudi Arabia in the early 1980s and later worked at the Saudi Embassy in Dhaka for five years from 1985. He has travelled to many countries including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Malaysia. Rahman's father, late Moulana Abdullah Ibne Fazal, was a member of Jamiatul Ahle Hadith, lately led by arrested Rajshahi University teacher Asadullah Al Galib. Fazal was accused of collaborating with the Pakistani occupation forces during the Liberation War in 1971. Rahman runs Al-Madina Islamic Cadet Madrasa and a mosque in Jamalpur. Saudi NGO Rabeta-e-Islam and Kuwait-based NGO Revival of Islamic Heritage Society provided him with the financial assistance to establish those institutions. Rahman's existence as a militant lynchpin came to light when he came forward in 2004 in support of JMJB operations commander Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai as the latter's anti-Sarbahara operations in some northern districts gave rise to controversy due to media reporting. Bangla Bhai, allegedly sheltered by several ruling BNP lawmakers, led a spate of killings in Rajshahi, Natore and Naogaon in early 2003 and 2004. In an interview with The Daily Star last May, Rahman admitted that he has been secretly operating the JMJB since 1998. He also said the headquarters of the JMJB is in Dhaka. He also said the JMJB has trained up some 10,000 full-time activists across the country and it spends up to Tk 7 lakh on them per month. Majlish-e-Shura is the highest decision making body of the organisation. The members and supporters of JMJB were divided into three tiers: Ehsar--full-timers who act at the directive of the higher echelons, Gayeri Ehsar--part-timers, and a third one consisting of those who indirectly cooperate with the outfit. The organisation divided the country into nine organisational divisions. The JMJB was renamed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh after a fight between Rahman's disciples and the police at a secret training camp in Joypurhat in August 2003. Following the "encounter", the police arrested Rahman's brother Ataur Rahman alias Sunny and son-in-law Abdul Awal along with 17 other militants. A few days later, however, they were released while the higher authorities transferred several police officials reportedly for making the arrests. In a press note issued on February 23 last year, the home ministry announced the JMJB and JMB banned, accusing Abdur Rahman and Bangla Bhai of carrying out bomb attacks and killings in recent times to create anarchy in the country. When newspapers started reporting on the activities of Bangla Bhai and JMJB in the northern region of the country about a year ago, the government said it was false. It even blamed the media for "creating" the "fictitious" character of Bangla Bhai. "We do not know officially about the existence of the JMJB. Only some so-called newspapers are publishing reports on it. We do not have their constitution in our records," State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar told the BBC radio on January 26, 2005. Even Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, while exchanging views with editors in August last year, said there is no existence of Bangla Bhai. Ruling coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami Ameer and Industries Minister Matiur Rahman Nizami on July 22 last year said, "Bangla Bhai has been created by some newspapers." Finance and Planning Minister M Saifur Rahman on February 23 last year dubbed the onset of Islamist militancy across the country as nothing but a "foul propaganda" by a section of the media. On the same day, however, after the government banned the JMJB, Babar told the BBC, "We are embarrassed as it is not being possible to arrest Bangla Bhai...We have put extreme pressure on the police to hold him." On May 15 last year, a cabinet committee meeting on law and order ordered the police to arrest Bangla Bhai and his followers. A week later, the JMJB operatives staged a showdown in Rajshahi and met the deputy commissioner, superintendent of police (SP) and deputy inspector general of police (DIG). Masud Mia, the then Rajshahi SP who had been suspended a few days ago, welcomed the JMJB team, saying, "We [the police] hail you as you are helping us eliminate the Sarbaharas from Rajshahi. We will cooperate with you in the coming days so that people can rest without fear." Rajshahi range DIG Noor Mohammad on June 23 said there is no existence of "so-called Bangla Bhai" in the region. Zahirul Haque, director general of external publicity wing of the foreign ministry, on January 25 this year quoted US Embassy officials in Dhaka about the non-existence of Bangla Bhai. The US embassy, however, refuted his comment. |
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Bangladesh | ||||||
Bangla boom masterminds still free | ||||||
2006-01-15 | ||||||
![]() Meanwhile, police arrested some top leaders of the banned Jamaâatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and they confessed to their involvement in the heinous activities.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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. | ||||||
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