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August 3, 2006

Bangladesh: 25 JMB Islamists Arrested

On May 29, Abdur Rahman, the leader of the terrorist Muslim group Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), along with four other members of its ruling council, were sentenced to death.

Since then, the activities of the JMB have appeared to diminish, with few of their dramatic bombing campaigns which typified their methodology. But there have been fears that the terror outfit has been regrouping in parts of Bangladesh, using different names. Intelligence sources said that though the main Majlis-e-Shura (ruling council) members had gone, substantial numbers of commanders within the hierarchy remained.

These include Ehsars, who are full-time members who act on orders of the Shura, and Gayeri Ehsars, who are part-time and comprise suicide bombers, and district-level leaders.

The Daily Star claimed that in the haor and beel areas of northern and north-eastern regions, the militants were again becoming active. Haors are tectonic depressions which become flooded during monsoons and dry out at other times, and beels are similar bodies caused by erosion which similarly flood and dry out.

An editorial from the paper said: "They have already done enough damage to human life, property and social stability, as well as to our longstanding image as a democratic country where religious fundamentalism is not given space to flourish in any guise. Henceforth, the message is simple and clear: Hunt down the remaining JMB outlaws and eliminate terrorism once and for all to reinstate equilibrium in society."

Part of that wish came true yesterday, according to the New Age and the Daily Star. In the northeastern jungle region of Mymensingh near the village of Jibontola in Bhaluka upazila, a group of Islamists were captured. 25 activists of JMB were caught by members of the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab), Bangladesh's paramilitary security forces. It was in a village of Mymensingh that Bangla Bhai, one the top JMB operatives sentenced to death in May, was captured on March 6.

The 25 individuals (pictured above) included Abdur Rouf of Madaripur, who allegedly supplied bombs to 27 districts for the August 17 blasts. On this date, JMB had caused bomb blasts across the nation, in 63 of the country's 64 districts. At least 400 small bombs had been planted, killing two people. At the scene of each blast there were leaflets calling for the institution of sharia law.

42-year old Rouf is a teacher at the nearby Jibontola Jamia Islamia Nurul Ulum Koami Madarasa and is a veteran of the Afghan/Soviet conflict, where he fought for four years, after receiving training in Pakistan. When Rab heard that Rouf had entered the area, they went on high alert. They observed the camp for three days in plainclothes before launching the raid, which took place yesterday at 3pm local time, involving two RAB-9 units.

Many of those arrested were young, aged between 16 and 30, and they had been taking part in a class involving conflict with bamboo sticks. They tried to resist arrest using these sticks before surrendering. All were wearing white caps. They claimed that they were students of the madrassa. The head of the Jibontola madrassa, Nuruddin Haider, was subsequently arrested, bringing the number of detainees to 26.

Near where the activists were training, there were four bunkers and a sentry outpost, and from here Rab operatives found bomb-making equipment, including electric wire, batteries, iron-balls of fishing-net, circuits, and chemical powders.

Three of those arrested have already admitted that they were undergoing military training, a Rab source claimed. Sadeka Khatun, the wife of Nuruddin Haider, the madrassa leader, was also arrested.

Currently, the review of the death sentence on the main leaders of JMB is being carried out in Dhaka.

Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at August 3, 2006 7:56 AM

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