Western Resistance: Bangladesh: Government Offers Bounty For Top Islamists' Capture

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October 29, 2005

Bangladesh: Government Offers Bounty For Top Islamists' Capture

The coalition government of Bangladesh announced a reward for information leading to the arrest of the two Islamists held responsible for organising the nationwide bombing campaign on August 17. The two men are Shaikh Abdur Rahman (pictured with red beard) and Bangla Bhai (pictured with green hat).

The rewards, state the Bangladesh Independent had been mentioned by the government back on September 11, but figures have only been announced. The figure in Bangladesh currency is Tk 50 lakh each, according to a statement issued by Luyfuzzaman Babar, State Minister for Home Affairs.

Yesterday, the Bangladesh Independent announced that Bangla Bhai had been charge-sheeted in four murder cases. His real name is Siddiqul Islam. The four murders, and one attempted murder, had been committed in the region of Bagmara thana.

Also yesterday, Bangladesh special operations force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh activist. Shaikh Abdur Rahman is the head of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The activist was arrested at a bus stand in the city of Shyamoli. 40-year old Abdul Kaium is also involved with the printing and distributing of literature of an extremist religious nature.

The reward now being offered for Bangla Bhai and Shaikh Rahman, nine weeks after the attacks of August 17, in which 63 of Bangladesh's 64 districts were hit with simultaneous bombings, killing 2 and injuring more than a hundered people, is too late.

The coalition government of Prime Minister Khaleda (of the Bangladesh National Party) has been accused by the main opposition party, the Awami League, of aiding and abetting Islamists. At the time of the August 17 bombings, instead of acknowledging that radical Islamists had committed the atrocities, the junior partner of the coalition, Jamat-e-Islami, had even accused Awami League members of committing the bombings.

Bangladesh is now in an economic and social crisis, with bomb threats and attacks made against the police, and the judiciary. For the fourth year running, the country has been voted the most corrupt on the planet. Four years tallies with the time that the coalition has been in power. In today's Bangladesh Independent, the Awami League repeated their claim that the government has aided and abetted Islamic extremists.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at October 29, 2005 4:13 AM