Islamist Terrorism: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2005

According to Daily Star, Sayed Kawsar Hussain Siddiki Raja, chief of the Islamist terrorist group, Shahadat-e Al Hiqma, was remanded to police custody in Rajshahi district for the third time on January 2. He was reportedly arrested for the first time on April 23, 2002, for alleged anti-state activities. But he was freed on July 30, 2002, and once again detained on September 24, 2002 but was granted bail on December 21, 2002. Following the press conference of February 8, 2003, where Kawsar announced his group's aim to turn Bangladesh into an Islamic state through an armed struggle, the Government proscribed his outfit on February 9, 2003. Read less...

The High Court, on January 2, has reportedly stayed for another three weeks the Government’s ban on Ahmadiyya publications. The court asked the Government to reply why the order banning Ahmadiyya publications, sale, distribution and preservation would not be declared illegal for violating the constitution and fundamental rights of the community. Read less...

According to Daily Star, alleged suicide bomb squads threatened to kill former Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, and blow up her Sudha Sadan residence for bringing her son, Joy, into politics. The E-mail threat sent on January 3 by one Masudur Rahman, said, "You have brought your son into politics, which is dangerous for you. So many of my desperate workers are now in Dhaka and they'll destroy your Sudha Sadan by explosives soon under my instruction. Be careful!" Read less...

According to Daily Star, the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel seized a cache of arms and ammunition, including 11 AK 47 rifles, 53 magazines and 1,506 bullets, from Naikkhongchhari in the Bandarban district of Chittagong region on January 6. With this, the BDR has retrieved a total of 26 AK47 and two M16 rifles, four mortars, eight light machine guns, one rocket launcher and more than 14,000 bullets in the last one and a half months from the district. Read less...

At least 35 people were wounded during bomb attacks on two cultural functions in the Jamalpur and neighbouring Sherpur districts on January 12. According to The Independent, while at least 25 persons sustained injuries during a bomb explosion at Sontia High School ground in Jamalpur, in Sherpur, at least 10 people were injured during a bomb attack on a local theatre festival at Chakpara village. Read less...

On January 15, four cadres of the Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) were arrested by a joint team of the Army and Rapid Action Battalion personnel from Chittagong-Rangamati road at Godharpar in the Chittagong district. One SBBL gun, three LG guns, 23 rounds of bullets and some sharp weapons were recovered from their possession. Read less...

According to delayed news, on January 17, an Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) cadre Akhtar Hamid was arrested from Kakrail area in capital Dhaka. Following his interrogation, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel recovered five guns, 10 rifle bullets, six cartridges and two daggers from his village at Keruntali in Maheshkhali of Chittagong district. Read less...

According to the information provided by an arrested Jamatul Mujahideen (JM) cadre, the JM militants were involved in the January 15 bomb attack on a folk theatre show in Laxmikola village in Shahjahanpur sub-district of Bogra. The JM cadre Shafiquallh was arrested on January 17 from Chaksudur village in Gabtoli sub-district. Read less...

On January 17, a suspected militant belonging to the Jamaatul Mujahideen was arrested from Chaksudur village in Bogra district and explosives and bomb-making substances were recovered from his possession. Read less...

On January 22, three cadres of the vigilante Islamist outfit, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), were killed by an angry mob following the killing of Mahbub Hossain Dewan, the Awami League publicity secretary, at ward no. 9 of Taherpur municipality and a subsequent attack on a local body chairman in the Bagmara area of Rajshahi district. Following the killings, at least 50 people, including eight police personnel, were injured in clashes between the police and JMJB cadres at Bhabaniganj in Bagmara on January 24. Police also arrested 64 JMJB cadres, but did not detain any of the leaders who led the attacks. Read less...

Former Finance Minister, Shah AMS Kibria, and four other Awami League (AL) activists were killed and at least 70 persons sustained injuries during a grenade attack on an AL rally at Boidder Bazaar in the Habiganj district on January 27. According to Daily Star, the four others were identified as Kibria's nephew Shah Manjurul Huda and AL activists Siddique Ali, Abdur Rahim, and Abul Hossain. An advisor to the AL, Kibria was elected to the Parliament from Habiganj-3 constituency in the 2001 general elections. Read less...

Leader of the Opposition and former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina Wajed, held the ruling coalition responsible for all bomb and grenade blasts including the latest one. Read less...

Daily Star reports that a cadre of the Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) on January 28 claimed that the JMJB was responsible for carrying out the bomb attack on a jatra (a folk theatre form) at Laxikola village of Shahjahanpur upazila (subdistrict) on January 14, in which two were killed and 70 wounded. Shafiullah, arrested from a Jamatul Mujahidin's operative's house with a huge amount of explosives on January 16, said in a statement to the local Court that Osman, a member of the JMJB bomb squad, carried out the attack along with several others. Read less...

Four persons, including two associates of vigilante Islamist group Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) chief Bangla Bhai, were arrested from the Hamir Kuchha area of Rajshahi district on January 28. According to Daily Star, the two others, Afzal Hossain and Hekmat Ali, are activists of the Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP). Read less...

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel recovered some firearms, including one M-16 Rifle, from Shahnagar in the Chittagong district on January 28. The RAB also arrested four persons, including one Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) cadre, for their alleged involvement in the possession and smuggling of illegal firearms. Read less...

A JMJB cadre, Shafiqullah, arrested in Bogra told police on January 30 that JMJB will continue their bomb attacks on 'anti-Islamic' social and cultural organisations as well as NGOs. JMJB has organised and trained a bomb squad, according to information given by Shafiqullah. He was arrested from a Jamatul Mujahidin's operative's house with a large amount of explosives on January 16. Read less...

According to Daily Star, preliminary investigations by the security agencies have revealed a section of the ruling Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami activists to be the prime suspects in the January 27-grenade blasts that killed former Finance Minister, S A Kibria, and four others in the Habiganj district. Police on January 30-night detained two persons affiliated to the ruling coalition on suspicion of having links to the incident. Some unnamed police officials said that several activists and criminals allegedly belonging to the BNP and Jamaat might have been involved in the grenade blasts. "We are considering every possibility and ruling out nothing. But right now, our analysis shows that the local BNP leaders are most benefited from Kibria's death," said an official. Read less...

Daily Star has reported that the Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) cadres in Rajshahi district have been circulating leaflets for the last two days calling for Muslims to prepare for a Jehad (holy war). The leaflets, titled 'Qurbani and Jihad Fi Sabilillah' (Sacrifice and Jehad for Allah), said that organisations committed to Jehad, like in many other countries, had flourished in Bangladesh as well to fight the 'conspiracies of Kafirs' and retain 'the glory of Muslims'. Read less...

On January 30, the United States Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, Christina Rocca, asked the Bangladesh Government for full access to all evidence and witnesses of the January 27 Habiganj grenade attack if they are to send the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for probing the attack. Rocca reportedly called Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan to explain her Government's position regarding clear terms of reference as she said inaccessibility to evidence had rendered ineffective the FBI's help in the August 21 Dhaka grenade attack investigation. On January 29, State Minister for Home Affairs, Lutfozzaman Babar, said the Government would want the FBI to remain with the local investigators until or unless an effective investigation is finished. Read less...

A businessman, identified as Bishu Aich, is reported to have died as suspected Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) cadres lobbed an unspecified number of bombs at a shopping centre in the Kotwali area of Chittagong on January 31. Police arrested two ICS cadres, Shah Alam and Shahabuddin, in this connection, reported The Independent. Read less...

On January 31, the Natore police, reportedly with the help of villagers, arrested 12 Jamaatul Mujahidin activists and followers of vigilante Islamist leader, Bangla Bhai, from the Pirganj Sadhupara mosque in the Natore district. Read less...