Islamist Terrorism: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2012

A regional leader of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Red Flag) faction was stabbed to death in Chatmohar sub-District of Pabna District on September 1, reports The Daily Star. The deceased is identified as Nayeb Ali (40) son of Kashem Ali of Hadal Pashchimpara village in Faridpur sub-District of same District. Police said locals found Nayeb's body in Aulipur sluice gate area and informed them. Read less...

The International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1), on September 2, began recording depositions by first defence witnesses on Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee, by hearing the testimony of Shamsul Alam Talukdar, reports The Independent. Talukdar said Sayedee was not involved in any wrongdoing during the Liberation War. Talukdar, who is from Pirojpur District, claimed that he was a freedom fighter and actively took part in the Liberation War, in Sector-9, under the command of Major (retired) Ziauddin Ahmed. “I was the second-in-command in a sub-sector that covered Pirojpur, Bagerhat, Jhalakathi Districts and the Sunderbans. I fought under the leadership of Major (retd) Ziauddin Ahmed,” he added. As a freedom fighter and commander, said Talukdar, he never heard of Sayedee being a war criminal during the Liberation War. Read less...

A prosecution witness on September 3 told International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) that Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman and his accomplices had abducted his brother who was tortured at a military camp in Sherpur District and was later shot dead on June 30, 1971, reports The Daily Star. Md Hasanuzzaman, elder brother of martyr Badiuzzaman and sixth prosecution witness in war crimes case against the JeI assistant secretary general, narrated how Al-Badr, an auxiliary force of the Pakistan army, abducted his brother and brutally tortured him at a Pakistani military camp all night long and eventually shot him dead. Read less...

A regional leader of outlawed Lal Pataka faction of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) was killed in a 'shootout' between Police and his cohorts in Mirpur sub-District of Kushtia District on September 4 (today), reports The Daily Star. The deceased was identified as Abdul Jalil (43) son of late Mofiz Uddin. Police said Jalil was a regional leader of the outfit active in Mirpur and Sadar sub-District of Kushtia District and Alamdanga sub-District of Chuadanga District. Read less...

Bangladesh Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ) Chairman Misbahur Rahman Chowdhury on September 4 said many members of Islami Chhatra Sangha, former student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), joined Al-Badr and Razakar, the paramilitary forces that assisted the Pakistani occupation army during the Liberation War of 1971, reports The Daily Star. Misbahur, who himself was a member of Islami Chhatra Sangha, revealed this while being cross-examined by the defence counsel of war crimes accused JeI chief Motiur Rahman Nizami at International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1). He further said he left Islami Chhatra Sangha when asked to join Al-Badr and that Nizami was the chief of Al-Badr in 1971. Read less...

SM Mahbub-Ul-Alam, a freedom fighter on September 6, during his cross-examination at the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) gave a description of the operation he had led during the Liberation War to kill war crimes accused Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, reports The Daily Star. Mahbub said Major Ziaur Rahman, former president and commander of Z-Force during the war, had commissioned termination of 22 “collaborators” of the then Pakistani occupation army, including Salauddin Quader Chowdhury and his father Fazlul Quader Chowdhury. Salauddin Quader, who is facing 23 specific charges of crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War in 1971, was present in the court. Read less...

Police arrested an alleged woman cadre of outlawed Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) Janajuddha faction along with arms and bombs from her father’s house at Kadikhali village in Harinakunda sub-District of Jhenidah District on September 7, reports UNBConnect. The arrestee was identified as Farida Parvin, wife of Beltu. Acting on secret information that PBCP Janajuddha faction commander of the area Amirul Islam alias Pocha had brought huge arms to his brother - Beltu’s house in the area, a team of Police raided the house. Sensing the presence of the Police, Beltu’s wife Farida relocated the arms to her father’s house in Kadikhali village. Being informed, Police raided the house of Farida’s father and arrested her and recovered one double barrel gun, two shutter guns, three choppers and seven live bombs. Police said Farida has been working as an associate of outlawed party leader Amirul Islam and engaged in collecting ransom from kidnapped people. Read less...

Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leader Moulana AKM Yusuf formed the Razakar force, collaborators of the Pakistan occupation army, first in Khulna during the Liberation War, eminent war crimes researcher and prosecution witness Shahriar Kabir told International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) on September 9, reports The Daily Star. According to "Genocide '71", a book that details the accounts of the wartime killers and collaborators, Moulana Yusuf formed the Razakar force at a rally of 96 JeI workers at an Ansar camp on Khan Jahan Ali Road in Khulna in May 1971. Meanwhile, Md Hasanuzzaman, the sixth prosecution witness against the JeI’s detained assistant secretary general Mohammad Kamaruzzaman on September 9 told the ICT-2 that he had heard that Kamaruzzaman was the chief of the Al-Badr camp at Suren Saha’s house in Sherpur in 1971 and used to launch operations in different places from there, reports The New Age. Further, ICT-2 on September 9 took the formal charges into cognisance against expelled JeI member Abul Kalam Azad for his alleged involvement in crimes against humanity committed during the Liberation War, reports The daily Star. The court said it had taken the charges into cognisance against Azad, known as Bachchu Razakar, after finding prima-facie evidence of crimes against humanity while examining the formal charges, investigation reports and other documents submitted by the prosecution. Read less...

A Dhaka court on September 10 indicted five members of militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Prof Humayun Azad murder case, reports The New Age. On February 27, 2004, JMB militants stabbed the 56-year-old Humayun Azad, a teacher of Bangla department of Dhaka University, near the Atomic Energy Commission office on the university campus while he was returning home from Ekushey Book Fair. The accused are Salehin alias Salahuddin, Hafiz Mahmud alias Hasan, Anwarul Alam alias Anwar, Mizanur Rahman alias Minhaz and Nur Mohammad. Among the accused, Nur Mohammad is on the run while others are in jail. Read less...

During the cross examination of Shahriar Kabir, the first prosecution witness against Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leader Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed on September 10, at ICT-2, Kabir said Razakars, an associate body of the Pakistani Army, used to bear JeI leader's identity card during the liberation war in 1971, reports The Independent. He added sub-division administration recruited Razakars who were given IDs of JeI. Read less...

Nurul Haque Hawladar, a defence witness on September 10, told ICT-1 that JeI leader Delawar Hossain Sayedee was not involved in crimes against humanity committed in Parerhaat area in Pirojpur District during the Liberation War of 1971, reports The Daily Star. Nurul, now 60, who used to live in Parerhaat area during the Liberation War claimed that no incidents of rape occurred in Parerhaat area at that time. When the tribunal Chairman Justice Md Nizamul Huq asked him if he witnessed those incidents, Nurul said he was not there and that he heard it from locals. Later, the proceeding was adjourned. Read less...

A regional leader of outlawed outfit Gono Mukti Fauj (GMF) was killed in a “shootout” between Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) and his group at Char Sadipur village in Kumarkhali sub-District of Kushtia District on September 12, reports The Daily Star. The deceased was identified as Tofazzal Hossain alias Tofa (40). Tofa was the prime accused in a triple-murder case of Ambaria Union Parishad Chairman Nurul Islam (48) and his two assistants. He was also accused in seven other cases of murder, extortion and abduction. RAB said they raided Char Sadipur village on a tip-off that the gang was holding a secret meeting there. When the militants opened fire on RAB personnel the RAB team in self-defence returned the fire. After an hour long “gunfight”, RAB personnel found the bullet-riddled body of Tofa at the spot. They also recovered five light guns, two bullets and five machetes left by the gang. Read less...

Former caretaker government adviser Sultana Kamal on September 11 while making her deposition as prosecution witness before the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) said Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leader Ghulam Azam was the mastermind of the genocide that had taken place during the Liberation War in 1971, reports UNB Connect. Sultana recalled “Ghulam Azam had given the leadership of philosophical and strategic planning to his vigilante groups Razakar, Al Badr and Al Shams for perpetrating the crimes against humanity like killings, arson, rape, looting, genocide and deportation”. Read less...

Eminent human rights activist Sultana Kamal on September 13 said before ICT-1 that the activities of JeI leader Ghulam Azam during the Liberation War and of Adolf Hitler during the World War II had similarities. Sultana said “Hitler was not the chief of the Nazis or its member but he was the key player in the torture led by the Nazis. Similarly, though Ghulam Azam was not the chief of the four organisations [Shanti Committee, the Razakar, Al-Badr and the Al-Shams], these were led by him”. Read less...

War crimes accused and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed as one of the top Al-Badr leaders addressed several rallies of the outfit during the Liberation War, witness Shahriar Kabir told the International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) on September 13, reports The Daily Star. In his testimony Shahriar said Mojaheed on November 7, 1971 addressed a public rally organised by Al-Badr marking "Badr Day" and administered an oath to kill the "enemies of Islam and Pakistan as well as the Indian agents". Read less...

Two villagers were injured by PBCP cadres at Bazar area in Khagrachhari District on September 17, reports The Independent. The injured were identified as Khokan Chakma and Ratnakar Chakma. Police said some PBCP cadres on their way back from a demonstration programme beat Khokan and Ratnakar at Khagrachhari Bazaar area. Police arrested two PBCP cadres, Jakir Hossain and Kowsar Alam, from the spot. Read less...

A local Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader was killed and his co-villager injured in a bomb attack at Duttapara Bazar in Sadar sub-District of Jessore District on September 17 (today), reports The Independent. The deceased was identified as Jihadul Islam Zia (42), organising secretary of Ward BNP. Police and witnesses said a gang of miscreants swooped on Zia and Mohammad Ali (43) while they were gossiping at a teashop at the bazaar. The criminals hurled several bombs at them and later chopped them indiscriminately. Read less...

A recent report of the US Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigation has revealed on July 17, 2012 that two Bangladesh-based banks, Islami Bank Bangladesh Ltd (IBBL) and Social Islami Bank Ltd (SIBL), were involved in terror financing, reports Indiablooms.com. According to the report the British banking giant HSBC supplied dollars to IBBL and SIBL despite evidence of their links to terror financing. HSBC did not submit these two banks to enhanced monitoring for suspicious transactions despite recommendation by HSBC’s own Financial Intelligence Group (FIG). Moreover, SIBL’s ownership stakes were held by two terrorist organizations. Read less...

A regional leader of the outlawed Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) Lal Pataka faction was killed in a “shootout” between police and the group in Mirpur sub-District of the Kushtia District on September 18, reports The Daily Star. Police said the deceased Rahat Ali (45), was accused in 11 cases, including five for murder. Acting on a tip-off, Police raided Kursha High School, where the outlaws were holding a “secret” meeting. Sensing Police presence, the criminals opened fire on the law enforcers prompting them to retaliate that triggered an hour-long gunfight. Rahat was caught in the line of fire and died on the spot, though his associates managed to flee the scene. Police recovered a 9 mm pistol, 8 bullets and 6 bombs from the scene. Read less...

At least three Policemen, including a sub-inspector, were injured in a clash between a group of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) cadres and the law enforcers in front of Chandpur Government College in Chandpur District on September 17, reports The Daily Star. Police said some ICS cadres brought out a procession from the college campus, protesting the trial of war crimes accused. When the Police tried to stop them, the ICS cadres attacked them with sticks and brickbats, leaving three Policemen critically injured. The ICS cadres also tried to snatch arms and wireless sets from the Police. The injured Policemen are - Sub-Inspector Mahfuz Ahmed (32), and constables Masud Rana (24) and Redwan Ahmed (20). Police have also arrested four cadres of ICS - Jahirul Islam (25), Iqbal Hossain (25), Shahadat Hossain (18), and Shahriar Tanzim (20) - for their alleged involvement in the attack. Read less...

Police arrested 22 cadres of Islami Chhattra Shibir (ICS), student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) from Chandpur District on September 18 on charge of attacking the Policemen September 17, reports The Daily Star. Police said the ICS cadres attacked the law enforcers in a procession in front of a Government college on September 17, leaving three Policemen including a sub-inspector of the Police injured. Read less...

Eighteen Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) cadres were arrested on September 19 from Rajshahi city in Rajshahi District for their suspected involvement in setting a Rajshahi University bus on fire on September 17, reports The New Age. Rajshahi Metropolitan Police deputy commissioner Morshed Anwar Khan told that an investigation was going on into the torching incident. Read less...

Three cadres of banned Islamist militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were arrested in Baghmara sub-District of Rajshahi District on September 19, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are Mohammad Shamsuddin (44), Towhidul Islam (38) and Ismail Hossain (48). Read less...

Ziaul Islam, a freedom fighter and witness on September 19 told the International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) that it is hundred percent true that Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leader Muhammad Kamaruzzaman was an Al-Badr leader during the Liberation War, reports The Daily Star. Refuting a defence claim that Kamaruzzaman was “neither an Al-Badr nor an anti-liberation activist”, Ziaul said, “Kamaruzzaman was a known Al-Badr commander in Mymensingh District.” He further said Kamaruzzaman the then president of greater Mymensingh Islami Chhatra Sangha, student wing of JeI during the War, played a key role in formation of Al-Badr there. Read less...

A leader of banned Islamist militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) was arrested in Atrai sub-District of Naogaon Dsitrict by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on September 20, reports The Daily Star. The arrestee is Lutfar Rahman, a Madrassa teacher and better known as Lutfar Professor. RAB said, Lutfar was accused in eight cases of murders, tortures and extortion in Bagmara sub-District of Rajshahi District. Read less...

Freedom fighter Zahir Uddin Jalal on September 20 testified before the International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) that at least four freedom fighters of his group were eliminated in Dhaka by detained Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) secretary general Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed during the War of Independence in 1971, reports The New Age. He said Mojaheed also committed atrocities against the people in 1971. Jalal gave a vivid and touchy description of massacre by Pakistani occupation army in Dhaka on the midnight of March 25, 1971 as he himself witnessed. Read less...

Sixteen cadres of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) were arrested on September 21 from different areas of Rajshahi city in Rajshahi District on suspicion of their involvement in torching a bus of Rajshahi University (RU) on September 17, reports The Daily Star. Police said they arrested the cadres from Kazla, Binodpur and Meherchandi area of the city. Read less...

Two witnesses Selina Afroze and Quazi Ayub gave their depositions in the case of Ghulam Azam at the International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) on September 23, reports The Independent. Azam, former leader of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), was accused of crimes against humanity during the liberation war of Bangladesh in 1971. Selina Afroze, an employee of the Special Branch (SB) of Police, gave her testimony as the prosecution witness-5. Quazi Ayub, an employee of Kushtia SB office, gave his deposition before the tribunal as the prosecution witness-6. Read less...

Detective Branch (DB) of Police has arrested Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) leader Prof Syed Golam Maola on September 24 near Azad Mosque in Dhaka, reports The Daily Star. Maola, who allegedly introduced HuT in the country, was first arrested from Dhanmondi in Dhaka on July 8, 2010 and released on bail. On September 19, the Supreme Court upheld a High Court order that had granted a six-month bail to Maola in a case filed for allegedly coordinating the activities of the HuT. The law enforcers made the arrest following information gleaned from HuT cadre Maksudul Rahman, who was earlier arrested by the Police. Read less...

Freedom fighter and prosecution witness Md Abul Kashem at the International Crimes Tribunal-2 (ICT-2) said on September 24 that during his captivity at an Al-Badr camp in Mymensingh District he heard that Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) leader Mohammad Kamaruzzaman led the Al-Badr Bahini in the district, reports The New Age. Kashem said that the then Islami Chhatra Sangha leader Ashraf told him on December 9, 1971 that he himself and Kmaruzzaman led the Al-Badr Bahini in Mymensingh District in 1971. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested two militants of Jama'atul Mujahedeen Bangladesh (JMB) in Bagmara sub-District of Rajshahi District on September 25, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees were Abdul Mannan (51) and Abdul Mannan Khondoker (50). They were close associates of the executed JMB leader Siddikul Islam Bangla Bhai. RAB arrested them while raiding the area on information that some fugitive JMB activists have returned to villages and are trying to reorganise the outfit. Read less...

Most members of the Razakars, Al-Badr, Shanti Committee and Al-Shams (Pro-Pakistan forces) were from the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), said witness and eminent historian Muntassir Mamoon at International Crimes Tribunal-1 (ICT-1) on September 25, reports The Daily Star. Muntassir said, though Razakar, Al-Badr, Shanti Committee and Al-Shams were counted separately, the lion's share of the members of these forces were JeI men. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested an aide to Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) second-in-command Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai at Baghmara sub-District in Rajshahi District on September 26, reports The Daily Star. The arrestee was identified as Abdul Kuddus (44) an alleged collaborator of the Pakistani occupation forces during the country's Liberation War. RAB said Kuddus is accused in five cases including murder and extortion charges. Read less...

The investigations into the war crimes allegations against six suspects who are leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jatiya Party (JP) would be completed by December, said senior investigator M Sanaul Haque on September 25 at the war crimes investigation agency’s office at Bailey Road in Dhaka, reports The New Age. The six suspects include JeI leaders ATM Azharul Islam, Maulana Abdus Subhan, Mir Qashem Ali, Moulana AKM Yusuf, JP leader Maulana Shakhawat Hossain, and BNP leader MA Zahid Hossain Khokon. Of the six, Azharul, Subhan and Qashem are in jail for their suspected involvement in crimes against humanity in 1971. Read less...

The police arrested two female cadres of banned Islamist outfit Hizb-ut Tawhid (HT) from a house at Dumuria village in Kochua sub-District of Chandpur District on September 27, reports The New Age. The arrestees were Lipi Akhtar (25) and Rowshan Ara (50). Read less...

Five cadres of JMB were sentenced to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment on September 27, in connection with a case filed for a series of bomb blasts in Rajshahi District in 2005. The convicted are Jakir Hossain, Liakot Hossain alias Harez, Amanullah alias Aman, Abdur Rahim alias Nasim and Zillur Rahman Shaheen. On August 17, 2005, a series of bomb blasts took place in six spots in Boalia area of Rajshahi District. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on September 28 arrested 10 young cadres of a new Islamist outfit, Tasauf Mahal, in connection with the murder of a "fellow cadre", Shohan Hossain, in Natore District, reports The Daily Star. RAB said that Tasauf Mahal was formed in 2008 and its leader is Satil Ilsam. They formed the organisation to kill some political persons of the area.RAB also seized locally made weapons, five Chinese axes and two sets of black-coloured uniform from the detainees. Read less...

The state minister for home affairs, Shamsul Haque Tuku, on September 28 said terrorism and militancy have come down at zero level due to various effective steps taken by the present government, reports The New Age. He told at the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SARRC) ministerial-level meeting held in Maldives, that along with intensifying the monitoring system, the Bangladesh government is formulating tough law for combating terrorism and militancy. Read less...