Islamist Terrorism: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2012

Meanwhile, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel arrested two alleged militants along with a 9-mm pistol and four bullets from Railway Gate area of Jessore town on April 1, reports The Daily Star. Read less...

The Jatiya Sangsad (Parliament) on April 1 repealed the Public Safety Act (PSA), 2000. However, the parliament empowered the government to decide on the fate of the pending PSA cases. On the same day, the Cabinet approved a draft Bill aimed at quick disposal of cases related to disruption of law and order. According to official sources, the draft Bill will make way for a tough anti-terrorism law that will remain in force for two years. Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Moudud said in Dhaka that the Parliament is likely to pass the proposed act during the current session. Read less...

In Chuadanga, Police recovered four hand bombs and a shutter gun in Alamdanga sub-district. Read less...

The New Age reports that three Policemen were injured in a clash between Police and cadres of the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (JeI), of Chittagong University (CU) on April 2 as the Shibir cadres attacked and halted a university-bound shuttle train. The Police arrested four Shibir cadres on the CU campus. Read less...

Former Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) Chief Sadik Hasan Rumi was cross-examined in a arms haul case on April 3, reports The Daily Star. He rejected the allegation before the Chittagong Metropolitan Special Tribunal-1. A huge consignment of arms and ammunition was seized on April 2, 2004 at the jetty of Chittagong Urea Fertilizer Ltd. Following the incident, two cases were filed - one for smuggling firearms and the other under the arms act. Rumi is a prosecution witness in both the cases. He also said that he had never met United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) leader Paresh Barua. Read less...

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT–1) on April 4 framed 23 specific charges against detained Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury in connection with genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War of 1971, reports The Daily Star. The charges include murdering civilians; collaborating with the Pakistani occupation army to kill and torture unarmed people, looting of valuables and torching of houses and other properties; persecuting people on religious and political grounds; and committing atrocities on the Hindus. The Independent reports that the Law minister Shafique Ahmed said that if needed the Government would make laws to set up more tribunals to try war criminals. Read less...

The newly-formed International Crimes Tribunal (ICT-2) has promulgated its own rules of procedure for investigation, prosecution and trial of the perpetrators committed crimes against humanity during the 1971 liberation war to keep pace with the trial process, reports The New Age. The ICT-2 framed its own rules of procedure as it is an independent tribunal which needs its own rules of procedure for functioning like that of the ICT-1. A basic change has been incorporated on application for the review of any order passed by the tribunal. One major change has been made on giving testimony of the witness before the tribunal which says that the testimony of the witness shall be recorded either in Bangla or in English through computer compose or otherwise as the tribunal directs. The cross-examination shall be strictly limited to the subject matter of the examination-in-chief of witness but the party shall be at liberty to cross-examine such witness on his credibility and to take contradiction of the evidence given by him. Read less...

Meanwhile, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested a man with firearm at Char Sujanagar village of Sujanagar upazila in Pabna District on April 9. The arrestee is identified as Md Munnaf Pramanik (35) accused in a number of criminal cases. RAB caught him from his residence and recovered a foreign made pistol, two bullets and a magazine. Read less...

The Daily Star reports that Abul Kalam Azad, a fugitive war crimes suspect widely known as Bachchu Razakar, fled to India through the Hili border in Dinajpur District on April 2, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said on April 9. Azad is facing an arrest warrant for committing crimes against humanity during the 1971 Liberation War. The International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) had issued the warrant on April 3. Read less...

A joint team of Police and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) recovered four bombs from a house in Kharod village in Alamdanga upazila of Chuadanga District on April 9, reports The Daily Star. The joint team found the bombs wrapped in a polythene bag in an abandoned house Read less...

Police arrested 47 leaders and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) on charge of planning to carry out subversive activities in Satkhira and Chandpur Districts on April 14, reports The Daily Star. Of them, 20 were arrested in Chandpur District while they were holding a clandestine meeting at an office of Ideal Trust to carry out subversive activities and 27 in Satkhira District at a house in Sora village while they were holding a secret meeting there. Read less...

Police arrested seven Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) cadres the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) from a procession in the Chittagong city on April 15. Police said around 40-50 Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) cadres of the city unit brought out a procession near Kazir Dewri intersection as a part of their country-wide demonstration programme. Read less...

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated her Government's tough stance against terrorism and militancy and vowed that the government would never compromise on these issues, reports The Daily Star. She said this when Canada's Special Envoy on Commonwealth Membership Renewal Senator Hugh Segal called on her at her office on April 15. Hasina told the envoy that her Government has worked hard to keep a control on terrorism and militancy in the last three years. She further said Canada should return Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's convicted killer Maj (retd) Noor Chowdhury, who is currently residing in Canada, to Bangladesh to face justice. In response, the envoy told the PM that he would convey her message to the concerned authorities of the Canadian government Read less...

Police arrested Gias Uddin (35), a cadre of the Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP)-Janajuddha faction, at Kazipur village in Gangni sub district of Meherpur District on April 17, reports Daily Star. A shutter-gun, one bullet and 20 bottles of phensidyl were also recovered from him. Read less...

A leader of Purbo Banglar Communist Party-Red Flag (PBCP-Red Flag), identified as Motaleb Hossain (45), was found dead in Mirpur sub district of Kushtia District on April 19, reports Daily Star. Informed by locals, Police recovered the bullet-hit body of Motaleb from Jhutiadanga field at Malihad village in Mirpur. Read less...

Police on April 20 recovered a total of five bombs from Tetulia and Noapara areas in Sadar sub District of Jessore District, reports Daily Star. They recovered four bombs from near the pond in Tetulia. In another drive, Police seized a powerful bomb from the bicycle garage in Noapara bazaar. No arrests were made in this connection. Read less...

Police recovered three time bombs from Dhaka City’s Shyampur area on April 23, morning, reports Daily Star. Of the three, one was recovered from Postagola intersection around 6:45am and the two others were found near Jurain rail crossing an hour later. Their making and controlling system were similar to those exploded by the banned militant organisation Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) on August 17, 2005 in 63 of the country's 64 Districts, Police said. "Each of the three bombs could kill 10 to 12 people close to the explosion," said Sanwar Hossain, an explosives expert and senior assistant commissioner of detective Police. He added the controlling system of the bombs were analog like those exploded on August 17, 2005. Read less...

Police arrested eight cadres of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), the parent party of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) on charge of subversive activities in Birampur sub District of Dinajpur District on April 25, reports Daily Star. The law enforcers arrested the eight while they were holding a secret meeting, said officer in-charge of Birampur Police station. Read less...

Police on April 26 arrested four activists of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), the parent party of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), at Sreeramkathi Bazar under Nazirpur Police station in Pirojpur District for their suspected involvement in anti-state activities, reports Daily Star. The arrestees are Islami Bank officials Kazi Mosleh Uddin and Kabir Shikder, Mozibar Rahman, a cloth trader and Maulana Saifullah, Acting Superintendent of Dighirjan Sabdullah Madrasa under the same Nazirpur Police station. Read less...

Two youths riding a motorbike hurled two bombs, one in front of the office of the Home Ministry (in Dhaka city) and another on a road adjacent to the Secretariat on April 29, reports Daily Star. None was injured in the explosions. Senior public relations officer at the Home Ministry, Mahfuzul Haque confirmed the incident. Read less...

The Police recovered 11 home-made bombs in a drive at Choto Kaliakoir in Savar sub-district of Dhaka on April 30, reports The Daily Star. The Police raided the area and found the bombs in an abandoned state near a printing press. No one was arrested in this connection. Read less...