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Bangladesh

Mufti Hannan revealed Hawa Bhaban plot

2013-02-04

[Bangla Daily Star] HuJI Founded in 1984 by Fazlur Rehman Khalil and Qari Saifullah Aktar. The Bangla branch was established in 1992 with assistance from Osama bin Laden. Recruits come mostly from Deobandi madrassahs. HuJI and Fazlur Rehman Khalil are signators of bin Laden's declaration of war on the west. leader Mufti Abdul Hannan in his 2011 confessional statement named some intelligence and political bigwigs, including Khaleda Zia's Three-term PM of Bangla, widow of deceased dictator Ziaur Rahman, head of the Bangla Nationalist Party, an apparent magnet for corruption ... son Tarique Rahman ...the elder son of former President of Bangladesh Ziaur Rahman Bir Uttam, and Khaleda Zia, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh. He is the Senior Vice Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). His nickname is Pino. There are allegations that Pino took a rakeoff from every foreign investment into the country while Mom was in office... , as criminal masterminds of the August 21 grenade assault launched to assassinate Sheikh Hasina. ...Bangla dynastic politician and current Prime Minister of Bangladesh. She has been the President of the Bangla Awami League since 1981. She is the eldest of five children of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founding father of Bangladesh. Her party defeated the BNP-led Four-Party Alliance in the 2008 parliamentary elections. She has once before held the office, from 1996 to 2001, when she was defeated in a landslide... AHM Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan, the then additional chief metropolitan magistrate who had recorded the statement, told a Dhaka court about its content yesterday. Hannan, chief of banned hard boy outfit Harkatul Jihad al Islami (HuJI), was in the dock while Habibur, now an additional Dhaka judge, was giving his testimony on recording the confessional statement. The Daily Star has obtained a copy of Hannan's statement. The HuJI leader had also narrated some conspiratorial meetings to assassinate Awami League chief Sheikh Hasina, the then opposition leader. He was present at the meeting along with some influential leaders and ministers of BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... , HuJI leaders and top intelligence officials. Tarique, then senior joint secretary general of BNP, assigned two party leaders -- state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar and deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu -- to provide all out assistance to the HuJI men to carry out the attack. Tarique, elder son of former prime minister Khaleda Zia, is now the party's senior vice chairman. "Before the grenade attack on an Awami League rally on August 21, 2004, I along with several other HuJI leaders went to Hawa Bhaban," Hannan said in the statement. Hawa Bhaban was the political office of BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia. There, the hard boy leader said, he found Tarique, Abul Harris Chowdhury, former state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, Abdus Salam Pintu, BNP politician Kazi Shah Mofazzal Hossain Kaikobad and Jamaat-e-Islami Secretary General Ali Ahsan Muhammad Mojaheed. Brigadier General Abdur Rahim, then director general of National Security Intelligence (NSI), and Brigadier General Rezzakul Haider Chowdhury, then director general of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), were also present. "I informed them about the plan of grenade attack on Awami League rally, which was to be addressed by Sheikh Hasina, and sought their assistance." Tarique then assured them of full support and told them to communicate with Babar and Pintu for administrative assistance, the statement read. Hannan began his statement saying that AL was defeated in 2001 general election and BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami formed the government. His organization tried to strengthen its relation with BNP. HuJI ameer Moulana Abdus Salam, Sheikh Farid, Moulana Yahiya, Abu Bakar and Jahangir Badar contacted BNP politicians Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and Kaikobad. The two leaders arranged High Court bails for 41 HuJI men tossed in the clink Please don't kill me! in Dhankhali in 1996. Hannan said the HuJI's communication with the BNP leaders continued and the outfit kept receiving assistance from them. Towards the end of 2003, Abdus Salam Farid, Moulana Tajuddin, brother of BVNP leader Abdus Salam Pintu, met Babar at his government residence on Bailey Road in the capital. There GK Gaus, Ariful Islam, former DCC ward councillor; Yahiya and Abu Bakar, were also present there. Babar told Gaus and Arif about the task of Sylhet and ordered them to do the work locally. In Sylhet, local BNP men and HuJI men went kaboom! grenades. At the court yesterday, Habibur Rahman Bhuiyan said around 3:00pm on April 7 of 2011 jail police produced Mufti Hannan at his chamber for recording confessional statement. Hannan was given three hours to make up his mind. Judge Shahed Nuruddin of the Speedy Trial Tribunal-1 recorded Habibur's statement for half an hour yesterday. Later, barrister Fakhrul Islam, a counsel for Mufti Hannan, cross-examined him. The defence will again cross-examine Habibur today as the court adjourned the trial proceedings for yesterday. Syed Rezaur Rahman, chief counsel for the August 21 grenade attack cases, stood for the state. The August 21, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally killed Ivy Rahman, wife of President Zillur Rahman, along with 23 others and maimed over 300 people. Sheikh Hasina, now prime minister, narrowly escaped death and suffered ear injuries.

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Bangladesh

15 militant outfits active

2010-03-30

[Bangla Daily Star] At least 15 foreign militant organisations were active or are still operating in Bangladesh since 1991 using the country as a safe shelter or transit to infiltrate neighbouring countries. The organisations are Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Tehrik-e-Jehad-e-Islami-Kashmiri (TJI), Harkat-ul Mujahideen, Harkat-ul-Jehadul Islami, Hizb-ul Mujahideen (HuM), Hezbe Islami, Jamiatul Mujahideen, Harkatul Ansar, Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), India-based Asif Reza Commando Force (ARCF), Myanmar-based militant groups Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), Arakan Rohingya National Organization (ARNO) and National United Party of Arakan (NUPA). This was revealed from the statements of several detained foreign and local militants and insiders of different intelligence and law-enforcement agencies dealing with militancy. Operatives of different foreign militant groups started visiting Bangladesh and spreading their tentacles with the help of banned local militant group Huji after the end of the Afghan war against Russian forces. The militant organisations operated almost undisturbed from 1991 to 1998 and then between 2001 and 2005 under the nose of the local administration. "During the BNP-Jamaat rule activities of the foreign militants marked a serious rise under the nose of the administration. Some of them were held and later given a safe passage," says a law enforcer requesting anonymity. Operatives of several groups used to visit Bangladesh from Pakistan and then India to commit their activities, while many from India also sneaked into Bangladesh and then visited Pakistan with fake Bangladeshi passports to The statements of detained militants also reveal agents of a Pakistani intelligence agency not only coordinated the militants' activities in Bangladesh but also provided them with necessary funds and training, sources say. have training on arms and explosives. Director General of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) Hassan Mahmood Khandkar said, "Now Bangladesh is no more a comfortable place for local or foreign militants as we constantly remain vigilant and go after militants upon instructions of the government." The statements of detained militants also reveal agents of a Pakistani intelligence agency not only coordinated the militants' activities in Bangladesh but also provided them with necessary funds and training, sources say. Now some militant groups are generating funds for them by selling counterfeit Indian currencies in India. The counterfeit currencies, especially Indian rupees and US dollars, are mainly forged in Pakistan and carried to Bangladesh via Dubai. Then a strong syndicate of militants and criminals supply the fake currencies to India. "We've detected at least three such gangs having around 50 members. One of the gangs is led by Bangladeshi citizen Majumder, one by Pakistani citizen Sarfaraz and the other by another Pakistani named Mohammad Danish," says a top police official asking not to be identified. Recently, an international money transfer has been detected through which some fund came from Pakistan to detained Pakistani national Rezwan. Law enforcers could not give a clear idea about how many foreign militant groups are active in Bangladesh. But recent arrests of over a dozen foreign militants belonging to LeT, JeM, HuM and ARCF suggest they are still active here, they say. One of the Huji founders, Moulana Sheikh Abdus Salam, who is behind bars in connection with the August 21 carnage case, named during interrogation nine Pakistan-based militant organisations which mainly work in Kashmir but also had operated in Bangladesh. The names of ARCF and LeT surfaced after the arrest of its leaders Indian citizens Mufti Obaidullah and Moulana Monsur Ali in May last year. The ARCF used to work for LeT. The recent arrest of Pakistani national Rezwan Ahmed who admitted at a press briefing of coordinating JeM activities in Bangladesh suggests the outfit is still active here. The name of another Pakistan-based militant outfit Tehrik-ul Mujahideen came to notice from the confessional statement of executed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Abdur Rahman. Rahman had visited Pakistan more than once and met Tehrik-ul Mujahideen leader Jamilur Rahman, who gave JMB 60,000 rupees and another Rs 1 lakh to Tahrikul-ul-Mujahideen's Bangladesh chapter leader Abdur Razzak of Natore. Salam also said Harkatul Mujahideen top leader and Pakistani nation Moulana Fazlur Rahman Khalil had also visited Bangladesh. Sources say Khalil made the visit in 1997 and met local militants at an NGO office in Mohammadpur in the capital. Sources in the law-enforcement and intelligence agencies say they have information about activities of RSO, ARNO and NUPA in the hill areas of Bandarban and Cox's Bazar. Moulana Salam also substantiated the claim as he in his statement said those groups still have some training camps in Naikhangchhari in Bandarban. Activities of HuM were detected a few months ago when the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) learned one year after the arrest of Abdul Majid alias Abu Yusuf Butt that he is from India-administered Kashmir. Moulana Salam said Moulana Tajuddin told him that Majid brought a consignment of grenades used in the August 21, 2004 attack from Chittagong. Analyses of interrogation statements of Mufti Obaidullah, Moulana Monsur Ali, Shaikh Abdur Rahman, Moulana Abdus Salam and Anisul Mursalin, now detained in India, Indian militants Faisal Nayeem alias Khurram alias Abdullah, Amir Raza, Mufti Obaidullah, Monsur Ali, Golam Yazdani alias Yahia, Mozammel and several others suggest that they had close relation with detained Huji linchpins Mufti Abdul Hannan, Abu Sayeed alias Dr Zafar and Moulana Abdur Rouf. Rouf, who was initially involved with Huji but later formed another militant group Tanjim-e Tamiruddin, visited an LeT safe shelter cum training camp in Habiganj in 2002. Khurram and Amir Raza had often visited Bangladesh but left the country in 2006.

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Bangladesh

Laskar leader had links to Aug 21 grenades

2009-07-21

Detective Branch (DB) personnel suspect detained Laskar-e-Taiyeba leader Indian national Mufti Obaidullah's possible links to the grenades supplied by Moulana Tajuddin for using in August 21 attacks at Awami League rally. The DB officials also suspect Obaidullah knew about Ramna Batamul blast and Udichi blast in Jessore. According to sources, Laskar-e-Taiyeba had supplied the grenades through Bangladesh Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji) leader Moulana Tajuddin, brother of detained former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu, as he is closely linked to the Pakistan based militant organisation. According to sources, Laskar-e-Taiyeba had supplied the grenades through Bangladesh Harkatul Jihad al Islami (Huji) leader Moulana Tajuddin, brother of detained former BNP deputy minister Abdus Salam Pintu, as he is closely linked to the Pakistan based militant organisation. After the August 21 grenade attack, Tajuddin went into hiding and now he is believed to have been staying in South Africa. However, his brother Pintu remains detained in connection with the AL rally blast. Deputy Commissioner Monirul Islam of DB-South told The Daily Star that they are quizzing Obaidullah about all the attacks, including AL rally on August 21, Ramna Batamul and Udichi blasts, and Huji's links to the attacks. He said Obaidullah is denying his involvement in all the attacks in Bangladesh and claiming himself an 'ideological leader' of Laskar-e-Taiyeba. "But he keeps mum when we ask him about the relationship between Huji and Laskar-e-Taiyeba," the DC-DB said adding, "He is a strong-hearted militant leader and therefore it is hard to extract information from him about his financial support and his network." Monirul Islam, however, said Mufti Obaidullah had close relationship with Huji leaders Moulana Tajuddin, Mufti Hannan, Mufti Abdur Rouf and Moulana Abdus Salam. Sources said intelligence personnel are conducting drives at different Huji dens to nab the Laskar-e-Taiyeba leaders as leaders of both the organisations are ideologically the same and they have close links to each other. DB Inspector Ruhul Amin, investigation officer of the case filed against Mufti Obaidullah, told The Daily Star that they, along with Obaidullah, conducted drives at different places of Savar, Gazipur, Keraniganj and other areas adjacent to the capital. He also said several teams are conducting drives to nab the accomplices of Obaidullah. Mufti Obaidullah had been serving as a teacher of a madrasas in Shibchar of Madaripur district using his fake identity. Earlier he was a teacher of four other madrasas in Moulavibazar, Munshiganj, Jessore and Dhaka. Now he is being quizzed under the Taskforce Intelligence cell after being taken on seven days' remand. Our Madaripur correspondent reports: Shibchar police are verifying the identities of the teachers of different madrasas to find out whether Obaidullah has any other associates there. Officer-in-Charge Abdul Jalil of the police station said they are looking into whether any other madrasa teachers are linked to the Laskar-e-Taiyeba.

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Bangladesh

4 more Laskar leaders serving in madrasas

2009-07-20

[Bangla Daily Star] Four senior Laskar-e-Taiyeba leaders who are hiding in Bangladesh are also serving as teachers in different madrasas of the country providing their fake identities like detained Mufti Obaidullah, detective branch (DB) sources said. Of the four, Indian national Moulana Mansur Ali and Pakistani national Moulana Habibullah are teachers of two madrasas in Dhaka while two others outside the capital, according to the sources. Sources, however, refused to disclose the names of two other Indian fugitive militants. Meanwhile, DB police are also looking into whether Obaidulla had links to the August 21 grenade attack on an Awami League rally, and bomb attacks at Ramna Batamul and Udichi function in Jessore. DB sources said on the first day of seven-day remand, Indian militant Mufti Obaidullah confessed that Laskar-e-Taiyeba and like minded Asif Reza Commando Force (ARCF) mainly expanded their networks through former fighters from Afghanistan and Kashmir wars and also through the students of Deoband madrasa. Sources suspect that qawmi madrasas have a vital role in setting up of the network as these madrasas gave them shelters and teaching jobs by accepting their fake identities. Besides, among the militant organisations active in the country, the Indian militants have closest links with the leaders of Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami (Huji), sources added. The DB officials also suspect that Pakistan-based militant organisation Laskar-e-Taiyeba and ARCF provide them financial assistance to carry out its activities in Bangladesh and the money is supplied by hand. Deputy Commissioner Monirul Islam of DB-South told The Daily Star that the Laskar-e-Taiyeba leaders are working as madrasa teachers in different parts of the country. He said Laskar-e-Taiyeba leaders have links to various militant organisations in the country but they are very much close to the Huji leaders. He also said Obaidullah had close contacts with Huji leaders Abdur Rouf, Mufti Hannan, Moulana Tajuddin, Moulana Abdus Salam as all the militant leaders were also Afghan war veterans. Monirul said Mufti Obaidullah would be grilled in the Taskforce Intelligence cell from today. Assistant Commissioner Sanwar Hossain of DB told The Daily Star that during the preliminary interrogation, Obaidullah so far disclosed the names of 26 people, including six Huji leaders. Of the six Huji leaders, two have been detained by the law-enforcers, AC Sanwar said adding, "Obaidullah said that there are some similarities between Laskar-e-Taiyeba and Huji. But they do not work like Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh."

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