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November 17, 2005
Bangladesh: UK Minister Offers Help Against Islamist Threat
Today's Bangladesh Independent carries an article which states that the UK minister Kim Howells (pictured) has offered help in the fight against Islamist militancy. Howells, the Minister of State for the Commonwealth and Foreign Office is a Labour MP for Pontypridd, Wales, and is currently in Bangladesh. He has offered to provide explosives experts and intelligence, and equipment which can test the "fingerprint" of detonated bombs, allowing identification of the explosives' country of origin.
Howells yesterday met with Bangladesh's State Minister for Home Affairs, Lutfozzaman Babar. He told reporters afterwards that democracy was threatened if the judiciary, the foundation of the justice system, were attacked. He said Islamist militants are killing innocent Muslims in bomb atrocities, and that the assistance of devout Muslims must be sought to guide the extremists.
Regarding a case of the British High Commissioner, Anwar Chowdhury being recently attacked in Sylhet, Howells said that he had been assured by Mr Babar that fair justice would be enforced.
Meanwhile, according to the Daily Star, two people have been detained in Mathbaria and Barisal over the last two days, suspected of involvement with Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). One of these is a student from a madrassa, 18 year old Mizanur Rahman. He was apprehended at a boarding hotel in Galib yesterday. He attends the Faizal Ulum Dharmadi Madrasa in the upazila of Sadar. His home is Goria village in Uzirpur upazila, in Barisal.
The other detainee first gave his name as Sahjahan of Fuljhuri in Barguna, but then said he was Ilias or Sah Alam of Kaliganj in Satkhira. Police are trying to establish his true identity. He was apprehended in a boarding hotel in Pirojpur.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 17, 2005 8:08 AM
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