Hidden alliance of Jihadist groups in Bangladesh

VOLUME - 5, ISSUE - 30, DHAKA, JULY 21, 2010

Hidden alliance of Jihadist groups in Bangladesh

By Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

Notorious Jihadist group Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh [JMB] has changed its name to Jamiatul Muslemin Bangladesh and is forming alliance with ‘like minded’ groups in the country for last four years. According to information disclosed by captured JMB member Saidur Rahman, who told interrogators that, Jihadist groups like Allah’r Daal [Allah’s Party], Harkatul Jihad, Ulema Anjuman Al Baiyiniyat, Jadid Al Qaeda, Hizb-Ut Towhid etc have already aligned with the ‘Jihadist Grand Alliance’ which plans to make offensives on Western nations.

JMB member Saidur Rahman said, “… rulers in the Muslim nations are puppets of United States. So, USA is the main enemy of our alliance. We are gaining strength to make offensives on this country. Our initial plan is to target Western missions, establishments and individuals in Bangladesh.”

It may be mentioned here that, Jihadist groups are continuing various forms of instigative propaganda through some newspapers and periodicals in Bangladesh with the aim of drawing attention of mostly un-educated and Madrassa educated people in the country, thus finally recruiting them as Jihadist cadres of these outfits. Several newspapers and periodicals such as Monthly Rahmat [Blessings], Daily Al-Baiyiniyat, Daily Al Insaniyat, Daily Al Ihsan etc are amongst the publications supporting Jihadist ideology. Moreover, the Jihadist groups in Bangladesh manage in getting published instigative stories in several so-called mainstream newspapers in the country, which also helps in attaining attention of potential Jihadist recruits. These so-called mainstream media mostly run anti-Israel articles and editorials, which is aimed at generating hatred against Israel and United States. In Bangladesh and several Muslim countries, publication of anti-Israel and anti-US propaganda are rather encouraged by the state machinery, as these nations refrain from recognizing the State of Israel and openly extends support and solidarity towards Palestinians and notorious terror outfits like Hamas.

While Bangladeshi government is continuing offensives on JMB and Hizbut Tahrir, there is visible reluctance of the State Machinery in taking any actions against other Jihadist outfits like Hizb-Ut Towhid, Allah’r Daal and Khatmey Nabuat.

Khatmey Nabuat is a radical Jihadist group formed under the leadership of Moulana Mumtazi and Mufti Noor Hussain Noorani in 1995. It came into open activities, mostly targeting Ahmadiyas since 1996. Dozens of Ahmadiya mosques were demolished and burnt by the members of Khatmey Nabuat. It claims to declare Ahmadiyas as ‘non Muslims’. The then Islamist Coalition government in Bangladesh banned religious publications of Ahmadiyas in 2002 at the demand of Khatmey Nabuat.

Hizb Ut Towhid [HUT] came into open activities since 2009 with its agenda of rejecting democratic system and institutions, thus replacing it with self-styled Sharia Law. Wazed Khan Panni alias Selim Panni is the mastermind of this notorious Jihadist outfit. He denounces participation of women in politics in one hand and continues to recruit female Jihadists in his group.

According to Rapid Action Battaion [RAB], Hizb Ut Towhid is continuing its orientation courses, publications and recruitments in Bangladesh. The government is yet to take any action against it.

HUT head office is located in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka at House No. 4, road no. 18, sector no. 7, Uttara. Kingpin of this notorious group Mohammad Bayezid Khan Panni, claims himself to be ‘imam-uz-zaman’, by placing him just behind the prophet of Islam. Panni although operates HUT from his Uttara residence, there are now a number of branches of this notorious militancy group in a number of places in Dhaka as well as other parts of the country. HUT has extended its activities within Barisal, Feni, Kushtia, Madaripur, Tangail, Gazipur, Meherpur, Jhenidah, Noakhali, Khulna, Chittagong and Narshingdi districts under the patronization of its active members and donors. Funds of this group are collected in the name of ‘Zakat’ [Islamic charity].

The HUT chief, who left Bangladesh after the independence and returned in the ‘80s, published a book titled “This Islam is not at all Islam” in March 1996, which the government banned on May 10, 1998. He also wrote another book named ‘Dajjal’, where he said that Jews and Christians are the evils who should be eliminated by the Muslims. Besides, there are several leaflets and booklets on the HUT ideologies and objective. Followers of HUT do not believe in democracy and traditional government system. HUT activists use iron hammer and tobacco dust when they attack.

Selim Panni terms working women and women in politics as ‘prostitutes’ and gives his own ‘Islamic Code’ for men to marry any number of wives. His interpretation is, “women are created only for sexual pleasure of men and this is their only task”.

He projects Jews and Christians as true evils and preaches killing them or raping female members of Jewish and Christian societies as “divine task”. He also teaches his followers to wage any type of offensives on the West.

Panni considers secularist forces as ‘enemies of Islam’ and encourages his followers in killing seculars for “buying heaven”. In his interpretation, Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh [JMB] and other Islamist militancy groups are “sacred forces of Allah” and he terms Shaikh Abdur Rahman as the “Hero of Allah”.

According to sources in Rapid Action Battalion [RAB], activities of Hizb Ut Towhid are under active surveillance of various law enforcing agencies in Bangladesh. It said, “the group operates under various tactics, one of which is continuing activities under the cover of ‘business establishments’. There are specific allegations on a number of such establishments aligned with HUT.”

Bangladeshi government should not allow the Jihadist groups in growing any strength either by continuing activities independently or in alliance. Massive offensives should immediately begin against such outfits.

URL: www.weeklyblitz.net/876/hidden-alliance-of-jihadist-groups-in-bangladesh

Tackling terrorism and Jihad

---Weekly Blitz, Bangladesh

VOLUME - 5, ISSUE - 16,
DHAKA, April 14, 2010

Tackling terrorism and Jihad
Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

The world is gradually getting united on one agenda on combating terrorism and Jihad. International community has reason now to speak out against Jihad as for past several years, multiple forms of terror acts are spreading in the world mostly by religious fanatics or Jihadists. Bangladesh is also a victim of terrorism and in recent days, especially after the arrest of activists of Jihadist outfits in this country, it has become clear that terror groups are trying to create a new avenue in Bangladesh for their notorious activities.

In Bangladesh, unfortunately, terrorism always gets political blessings mostly from parties in power. It is very clear to everyone that, all the political parties in this country are for reason unknown, maintaining their own segment of musclemen and hooligans. Such elements in political parties are used for various forms of terrorist activities. But, those Jihadist groups active inside Bangladesh are continuing to gather strength with the ulterior motive of establishing Sharia rule in this country. Though Bangladesh government already has banned a number of notorious Islamist militancy group, it is yet to take any action against groups like Hizbut Towhid, which is continuing secret activities around the country with the agenda of destabilizing democratic government and democracy. According to several surveys, the growth rate of Hizbut Towhid members is above 17 per cent every year. Meanwhile, this group has very successfully attracted or recruited more than 100,000 people in Bangladesh.

As I mentioned, Bangladesh is an active member of counter-terrorism efforts, there is serious lacking in the very strategy of combating terrorism and Jihad. It is well known that, breeding grounds of Jihadists in Bangladesh are those thousands of Koranic [Qawmi] Madrassas as well as mosques, where Tablighi activists are regularly seen giving sermons in favor of Jihad. Tablighi Jamaat [TJ] though pretends to be an innocent group preaching Islam, the real agenda of TJ is spreading the message of Jihad amongst people. In a number of terrorist activities in the world, Tablighi Jamaat’s involvements were clearly found. But, in Bangladesh TJ is spreading wings everyday, as the government or security agencies are yet to put focus on the activities of this group.

The second largest congregation of Muslims is the Tablighi Jamaat’s so-called Ijtema, which takes place every year in Bangladesh. According to statistics, more than 1 million people gathered at the Tablighi congregation in 2009, which from this year, the congregation will take place on three different dates as the organizers are sensing larger participation of people from this year.

Main objective of Tablighis is to encourage people towards religious conversion. The next agenda is instigating Jihadist notion. Third is ousting democracy. In a country like Bangladesh, where more than 83 per cent of the population are now Muslims, the only reason behind allowing Tablighis to keep active would be to actually ultimately wipe off the existence of Hindu, Buddhist, Christian, Bahai, Ahmadiya and Jewish community in Bangladesh. There are series of reports in Bangladeshi media about forceful conversion of mostly Hindu girls and boys into Islam. In most cases, where female Hindus are converted, the entire episode is given a ‘legal’ coverage of marriage. But, no one ever bothers, if the marriage was forceful. Actually, most of such so-called marriages are forceful. In some cases, the abductors rape the girl with the motive of putting mental pressure on her of marrying the rapist and ultimately getting converted into Islam. Members of Tablighi Jamaat are continuing to encourage people in trying to get any of the non-Muslims into Islam. Mostly uneducated or half-educated Muslim youths are getting hypnotized or attracted at such ‘calls’ of the Tablighis. And such, inspiration ultimately leads those listeners of Tablighis is doing anything in getting any of the non-Muslims into Islam.

As I said, Madrassas are the breeding grounds of Jihadists; it is unknown to many that, only 26 per cent of the students coming out of Koranic madrassas ultimately find a job with any mosque as cleric or assistants to clerics, while the larger segment of such madrassa educated people with high Jihadist brain-wash either mix-up in the society or just disappear from the scene. It is well anticipated that, such disappeared madrassa students find ways to any of the foreign countries for joining ‘Jihad’. Iranian embassy in Bangladesh as well the Palestinians encourage those people is joining Jihad against Israel and United States. Iranians spend millions of dollars in such activities every year. On the other hand, Pakistani intelligence agency ISI recruits madrassa educated people for joining war against India in Kashmir. Such elements are also sent by ISI to other parts of India with terrorist dictation. Bangladesh government and those combating terrorism should have carefully examined the case of those 84 per cent of madrassa students, who either mix up in the society or get into Jihadist activities. For the sake of fixing a workable and effective strategy on combating terrorism, such investigation and study is extremely essential. No government or security agency can combat terrorism without specific and in some cases even comprehensive information on the roots of terrorism and bases of such terror acts. For the sake of combating terrorism and Jihad, it is essential first of all to understand the strength and ‘route map’ of the terrorists and Jihadists. Once Bangladesh will get this, combating or countering terrorism will become much effective and meaningful.

URL: www.weeklyblitz.net/663/tackling-terrorism-and-jihad