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December 30, 2005

Bangladesh: Islamist Claims Terrorism Is Funded From Middle East

We reported earlier of the arrest of Ataur Rahman Sunny (left and below right), a leading member of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), on December 14. Rahman is the younger brother of Abdur Rahman, the leader of JMB, the main group responsible for a series of bombings that erupted across Bangladesh on August 17. Since that day, JMB has made more bomb attacks, on courthouses, and other targets in the judiciary.

After a brief hiatus during Ramadan (Oct 4 to Nov 4), JMB killed two judges in Jhalakathi district on November 14, then mounted a double suicide attack on courthouses in Chittagong and Gazipur on November 29, killing 10 people, followed by another suicide bombing at Gazipur courthouse on December 1, which killed two and injured twenty.

Today, the New Nation, the Daily Star and the Bangladesh Independent all report that Ataur Rahman Sunny has been given a 119 day remand on 17 cases connected with the August 17 nationwide bombing campaign. The instances for which he is charged under the Explosives Act took place in nine "thanas" of Dhaka, the capital.

Abdul Awal, the son-in-law of Abdur Rahman, who had been arrested at Thakurgaon on November 18, was also remanded in custody for five more days. This was his seventh remand. Awal was JMB's regional chief for Rajshahi district.

Mufti Mohammad Abdul Hannan, the leader of Harkatul Jihad-e-Islami, who was arrested on Saturday, 1 October, was also remanded for five days, on charges of laying bombs on August 17 near the National Press Club under Ramna police station. This is Hannan's thirteenth remand.

The aims of JMB and Harkatul Jihad are the same, as are the aims of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB). All want to establish an Islamist state, governed by Sharia law, to replace the current democratic system. The goal of a sharia-based system is also shared by two political parties who have been accused of tacit involvement with extremists, Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Oikya Jote. Both are in the coalition government.

Hannan and Awal were both brought before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrates Court at 3.30 pm local time today, with claims from investigating officers that they had direct involvement with the August 17 blasts, and therefore needed further interrogation.

Fariduzzaman Swapan, a financier for JMB, who was arrested shortly before Ataur Rahman Sunny, his close associate, was not wanted for further questioning and was sent to Dhaka Central Jail.

Five magistrates granted the remand for Sunny. It is the longest ever remand granted in Bangladesh's 24 year history. He was taken away by officers of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) for further interrogation.

The Bangladesh Independent notes that following Sunny's arrest, his confessional statements led to the discovery of a large cache of explosives at South Manda in Dhaka on December 15.

He had claimed that the sources for JMB's finances came mainly from the Middle East:

In his confessional statement, Sunny disclosed that the huge amount of money required for carrying out militancy in Bangladesh usually comes from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Brunei, Sudan and some other Middle Eastern countries and some Islamic NGOs, and moneyed men of these countries donated the money for establishing the 'Rule of Allah'. His brother used to receive the money for the purpose, Sunny said.

Disclosing the names of some local Islamic NGOs, he has also added that these non-government organisations also supply money for the carrying out militant acts. But the names of these NGOs could not be ascertained. Sources, however, said the intelligence agencies have geared up their monitoring and watch on these NGOs.

One of the "non-government offices" is almost certainly the Kuwaiti-based organisation, the Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS), who are allowed to operate legally in Bangladesh, even though it is claimed to have bankrolled the August 17 bombings.

RIHS has been on a US exclusion list since Jan 9, 2002, but in the corrupt environment of Bangladeshi governnment the group received a massive donation from the ruling coalition for the purposes of setting up madrassas and mosques, and training imams.

One of the suicide bombers from the Chittagong courthouse attack survived long enough to claim that there were 25 mosques in Shakhipur upazila, Tangail district, which were used by members of JMB to plan their activities, including bomb attacks. These mosques were built with money from RIHS. The group actively involves itself with the destabilising of countries in fragile political shape. Bangladesh is currently becoming extremely destabilised.

The New Nation notes today that a 38-year old madrassa leader, Hafez Shamsul Haque Munir was arrested on Thursday at noon in Faridhpur district. He is head of Bagdanga Hafezia Madrasah in Boalmari upazila. He was said to resemble Abdur Rahman, the head of JMB (pictured above, left). This prompted a rumour that Rahman had been captured.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at December 30, 2005 6:02 PM

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