Islamist Terrorism: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2007

The leaders of Awami League (AL) party in Sylhet refused to work for Maulana Habibur Rahman, the nominee of the AL-led grand alliance in Sylhet-6 constituency. Habibur is the principal of a Madrassa (seminary) with the background of working for a 'Taliban-style' rule in Bangladesh. The AL reportedly entered into a deal with the Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish (BKM) led by Shaikhul Hadith Allama Azizul Haq on December 23, 2006. Both the sides agreed, among other points, to recognise fatwa (religious edict) by certified Hakkani alems (educated clerics) and implement government recognition to the degree conferred by traditional Madrassa if the AL-led alliance came to power. Habibur and Azizul are the leaders of the banned Islamist outfit, Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (HUJI) in Bangladesh, and they have links with international militant outfits. Habibur alias Bulbuli Huzur revealed the link in an interview with a bulletin titled Islami Biplob (Islamic revolution), published on August 20, 1998, from Sylhet with the expressed purpose to celebrate "the total victory of Talibans and establishment of an Islamic state in Afghanistan". Read less...

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on January 7 neutralised several militant hideouts in Narayanganj and recovered huge amount of explosives and locally made iron cases to be used for making grenades. RAB personnel also arrested six militants of the banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), who possessed the bomb-making materials. Read less...

On January 9, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel neutralized a hideout of the banned Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and recovered locally-made iron cases, used for making grenades, and a large amount of explosives. The recoveries were made at the Badda locality of capital Dhaka. The seizure included 34 kilograms of power-gel packed in 68 packets (each containing 500gm), 40 improvised iron casings for making grenades, four kilograms of ammonium nitrate in eight packets (each containing 500gm) and a book on Jihad. Two persons were arrested in connection with the incident. Further, another person was arrested at Narsingdi. The arrested were identified as Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil Ullah alias Shaikat, Hassan Ali alias Hridoy, and Shoyeb alias Jahir. Read less...

A court in Tangail, on January 10, placed two militants of the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) on seven-day fresh remand. Police had arrested Abdur Rahman Alal alias Fahad and Mohammed Saiful Islam alias Russell, along with a huge quantity of arms, ammunition and detonators from a bus on Rabna bypass in Tangail on December 29. Police produced the JMB cadres before the first class magistrate's court asking for a 15-day fresh remand, but the court granted a seven-day remand. According to Daily Star, during interrogation, the JMB cadres confessed that they had been executing orders from JMB commanders Hassan and Rakib. Read less...

Santu, a cadre of the Gono Mukti Fouj (GMF), was killed in an encounter with the police at Simulia village in the Kushtia district on January 11. According to Daily Star, he was arrested on the same day from Patildangi village under Khoksa sub-district. One shutter gun and two bullets were recovered from the encounter site. Read less...

A JMB militant was arrested on January 12 soon after he came out of the Satkhira Jail after being granted bail by a court. Sadar police station Officer-in-Charge, Nawsher Ali, said that Hafizur Rahman Dulu was arrested in connection with a case for threatening nine lawyers soon after the serial blasts on August 17, 2005. Read less...

Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed, a former Governor of the Bangladesh Bank, assumed the office of chief adviser (CA) to the non-party caretaker government on January 12 after a consensus to that effect was arrived at between the two major political alliances, reports Daily Star. President Iajuddin Ahmed, who on January 11-night had declared a state of emergency across the country and resigned from the post of CA, administered the oath to his successor. The president will now appoint ten advisers in a day or two consulting with the newly appointed CA to complete the reconstitution of the council of advisers to the caretaker government that will initiate a fresh move for holding the next parliamentary election. Meanwhile, the Election Commission on January 12 unofficially suspended all activities regarding holding the parliamentary election on January 22. Read less...

On January 12, an illegal arms factory was unearthed at Natun bazaar of Maheshkhali Island in the Cox’s Bazaar. Police raided the factory and seized four guns, arms making material and machinery. The factory owner, Sarwar, and his employees, however, managed to escape. Police sources said that the guns made in the factory have been supplied to the terrorists and criminal elements ahead of the general election in the country. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel arrested a cadre of the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) with bomb-making materials and cartridges at Karatia Bazaar in the Sadar sub-district of Tangail district on January 12. According to Daily Star, Arman, aged 25, was arrested after two arrested JMB cadres, Hassan alias Hridoy and Shoyeb alias Zahir, provided information regarding him. The bomb making material and other items seized include 500 grams of zinc oxide, 100 grams of carbon powder, 800 grams of lead nitrate, eight plastic boxes, some masks, 16 plastic circuit boards, three cartridges, 11 negatives of films, 53 audio cassettes and one mobile phone set. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel arrested three Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) cadres from different places of the Rangpur district and recovered 56 packs of power gel from one of the arrested militants on January 13, reports Daily Star. The RAB-5 chief said that the elite force would continue hunting the JMB militants as they have information about their regrouping to conduct fresh attacks in the country ahead of the execution of the death sentences of the convicted JMB leaders. Read less...

A court in Tangail granted five-day remand for a JMB cadre who had been arrested with bomb making materials from a rented house at Karatia in Sadar sub-district on January 11. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel arrested a Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) cadre from Komolpur Bazar under Birol sub-district in the Dinajpur district. The arrested militant has been identified as Enamul Haque. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel neutralised a hideout belonging to the Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and recovered a cache of bomb-making material in Savar on January 18, reports Daily Star. However, four JMB militants present in the hideout, located in the third floor of a four-storied building at Mazidpur near Savar market bus stand, managed to escape. The cache included ten improvised iron castings for grenades, 11 pieces of power-gel for grenade, sodium sulphide, potassium sulphide, potassium carbonate, chloroform, measuring scale, glass jar, funnel, dust mask, hand gloves and Bunsen burners. The raid was reportedly conducted following information provided by the JMB ‘commander’ Ayubur Rahman, who was arrested on January 17 at Arai Hazar in Narayanganj. Read less...

According to Daily Star, a team of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel arrested a militant belonging to the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in Lalbagh area of Rangpur town on January 19. The arrested Saifur Rahman, is a student of Rangpur Carmichael College and reportedly was assigned to send bomb-making materials to the JMB men in northern districts. h also used to distribute jihadi books among the students of Carmichael College. Read less...

An arms factory was unearthed and some arms and arms-making equipment were recovered at Moheshkhali Island on January 19, reports Daily Star. A team of Navy personnel raided the spot at Lohar Chhara and seized three guns and huge arms-making equipments. Six persons were arrested in this connection. Read less...

According to Daily Star, jail authorities will issue death warrants for the six convicted cadres of the Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) within the next three days in connection with the Jhalakathi judges’ murder case. On January 21, jail authorities received a copy of the Supreme Court (SC) rejection of the militants’ appeals against the death sentences, 54 days after the SC had delivered the order. On January 22, jail authorities reportedly started the process of executions. Executing the militants, however, depends on a Government clearance, although a number of provisions already exist to carry out the executions within 21 to 28 days following receipt of the court order by the jail authorities. Inspector General (Prisons), Brig. Gen. Zakir Hasan, said on January 22, "We will fix the date of execution within the next two or three days." Out of the six JMB militants, one is in Rangpur jail, one is held in Kashimpur Jail in Gazipur, and the rest are in the capital Dhaka. Read less...

Police detectives recovered two powerful time bombs and some bomb-making materials from a ditch adjacent to Bara Aulia shrine near Taltola market area in capital Dhaka’s Khilgaon area on January 22, reports Daily Star. The bomb-manufacturing materials include 200 grams of sulphur powder, 200 grams of explosive gel, 10 empty containers, five packets of ball bearing, a detonator and electric wires. Read less...

A special tribunal in Naogaon on January 23 sentenced three Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) to death for their role in August 17, 2005 serial bombings in the district, reports Daily Star. The convicted JMB militants have been identified as Abdul Qaiyum alias Bhodu alias Kayes, Minhajul Islam alias Sohel Rana and Abu Sayeed Sheikh alias Hussain. Abu Sayeed was tried in absentia. Seven bombs were simultaneously set off at different places in the district, including the Judge Court premises, as part of the JMB's synchronised countrywide bombings on August 17, 2005. Four other accused militants -- Jobair, Tamim, Musa and Elias -- were not produced before the court, as police reportedly could not identify them correctly due to their pseudonyms. Read less...

Police recovered 17 homemade bombs, including 11 petrol bombs, and 350 bullets from capital Dhaka’s Shyampur and Pallabi areas on January 25, reports Daily Star. Police sources said that the criminals might have dumped the explosives and ammunition due to the ongoing anti-crime drive by the army-led joint forces. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel arrested two Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) cadres in Kalihati sub-district of Tangail on January 26, reports Daily Star. The arrested militants have been identified as Mohammad Nazmul and Abdur Rahman of Balla village. The arrests reportedly took place following the information provided by another JMB cadre, Mohammad Shipon, who was arrested on January 24 by the Kalihati police. RAB sources said that the arrested militants are class ten students of a school at Balla and are actively involved in the activities of the outfit. Read less...

Five of the seven leaders and cadres of the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), who have been sentenced to death, have asked for presidential mercy. Mercy petitions by the outfit’s chief Abdur Rahman, Ataur Rahman Sunny, Abdul Awal, Khaled Saifullah and Iftekhar al Mamun were submitted to the jail authorities on January 27, reports Daily Star. JMB second-in-command Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai is expected to submit the mercy petition on January 28. Read less...

February 17 has been primarily fixed for the execution of six of the seven militants of the Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), including its chief Abdur Rahman and its operations commander Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, reports Daily Star. All of them have been sentenced to death for their involvement in the Jhalakathi bomb attack that killed two judges in November 2005. Another convict, Asadul Islam alias Arif, has been absconding. Meanwhile, Bangla Bhai, who has been kept in Kashimpur Jail, submitted his mercy petition to the President on January 28. Previously, on January 27, five other militants had submitted their mercy petitions. Another militant, Asadul Islam alias Arif, who too has been sentenced to death, is absconding. Meanwhile, family members of the victims of the JMB bomb attack urged the president to reject their mercy petitions and demanded immediate execution of the condemned militants. Major Shamsul Haider Siddiqui, Deputy Inspector General (prisons), said on January 28 that if the president rejects the militants' prayers for clemency, the execution date will be re-fixed after receiving the copy of the president's decision. Read less...

The High Court (HC), on January 29, suspended conduct of all elections including the next parliamentary polls for three months. According to Daily Star, the ruling came following a writ petition filed the same day by a civilian, identified as Kazi Mamnur Rashid. The HC also directed the commission to explain why the present voter roll shall not be declared inconsistent with the provisions of Representation of the People Order (RPO), 1972 and the directives passed by the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court (SC) in 2006. The HC also asked the commission to clarify why it should not be directed to prepare a fresh electoral roll for the general and other elections as per the provisions of the existing law, the SC directives of 2006 and as per articles 119, 121, 122 of the constitution. Besides, it asked the EC to explain why it shall not be ordered to introduce voter identification cards and arrange transparent ballot boxes for the national election. The respondents--the EC, Chief Election Commissioner, and Secretary of the EC--will have to reply to the directive within two weeks. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel on January 31 arrested Russell Ahmed, a militant belonging to the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB),who was actively involved in the bomb attack at Gazipur on August 17, 2005,at Chakpara of Sreepur. Read less...