Bangladesh: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2010

Police arrested seven Left Wing Extremists (LWEs) while pasting posters at Mansha Bazar area and at Chhuter intersection in Rupsa-Moubhog area of Bagerhat District in the evening of January 3, reports Daily Star. According to Bagerhat Superintendent of Police (SP) Mizanur Rahman, the arrestees identified themselves as the cadres of the newly formed underground outfit Biplobi Communist Party-Marxist-Leninist (BCP- Marxist-Leninist). Leaflets seized from them called for 'eliminating the class enemies' from the society, he added. Read less...

Police on January 3 recovered a few posters of a Left Wing Extremist outfit from the wall of Chatmohar sub-district in Pabna District. Officer-in-charge (OC) of Chatmohar Police Station Sayed Shahid Alam said that the posters belonging to 'Purba Banglar Sharbahara Party' called to stop crossfire by Police and asked the authorities for steps to stop Tipaimukh Dam. Read less...

Police recovered two revolvers, four bullets and a knife from Thonthonia Poschimpara area of the Bogra District town in the morning of January 3, reports Daily Star. Separately, RAB recovered one foreign made rifle and three bullets at Chandpur Bazaar in Shailakupa sub district in Jhenidah District on January 2. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) members in separate drives in Shibganj sub-district of Chapai Nawabganj District recovered three firearms and bullets and arrested three illegal arms sellers in the night of January 3. RAB later handed them over to Police. Two cases were filed under Arms Act. Read less...

The Bangladeshi High Commissioner to India, Tariq A. Karim, in a recent letter to Bangladesh Government, said a possible backlash from ULFA and religious extremists in Bangladesh has made the mission’s compound in New Delhi extremely vulnerable, The New Age, according to Assam Tribune. “These developments have meant that the High Commission and its personnel have become extremely vulnerable as targets for retaliatory attacks in India aimed at humiliating the government of Bangladesh,” The New Age quoted the letter as saying. Read less...

Police on January 4 arrested 'operation commander' of Biplobi Communist Party (BCP) from Dumuria sub-district of Bagerhat District, reports Daily Star. Police said, arrestee Pratap Biswas, who went into hiding since January 2007 Dumuria last week from India. Younger brother of BCP founder Shailen Biswas, Pratap was wanted in several criminal cases including six murders, Police said. Read less...

Three Left Wing Extremists (LWEs) including an ‘operation commander’ were arrested in two separate incidents in Bagerhat and Natore Districts, reports Daily Star. Police arrested two Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) cadres along with their party posters in Manasa Bazaar area of Fakirhat sub district in Bagerhat District on January 4. The arrestees — Kazi Ibrahim, and Chengis Das in their posters urged people to join their party with a pledge to kill their 'class enemies' and sought financial help for strengthening their party activities. Read less...

Hasina asked the Police officials to perform their duty blindly without seeing which party the culprits belong to. "Your work is to ensure the security of the people and keep loyal to the constitution. Even take actions against my party's people." She also asked the Police officials to introduce themselves to modern technologies as the criminals are using high-tech instruments for committing their crimes. The Prime Minister said that her Government would do whatever possible for the development of the Police Force in the country, as this is the largest law-enforcement force in the country. "We need the rule of law, but you have to confirm that doing that there will be no violation of human rights." she said adding "there will be no militancy and terrorism-there will be only peace prevailing in the country". Read less...

Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on January 5 arrested an ehsar (full time member) of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), identified as Yousuf Ali from Shibganj sub district in the Chapai Nawabganj District, reports Daily Star. Yousuf faces two separate cases with Shibganj Police Station, said a RAB official. Read less...

Police on January 5 arrested an 'operation commander' of Purba Banglar Sarbahara Party (PBSP), identified as Afzal Hossain from Fulbagan area in Natore District and recovered a shutter gun, a pistol and four bullets from his house. Police said that Afzal is an active member of PBSP. He faces many cases including Bamihal Police camp loot, three murders and robbery. Read less...

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on January 5 said that she would not invite trouble for the country by allowing militants and terrorists to use Bangladesh for carrying out terrorism in another country, reported Daily Star. "They [militants and terrorists] will use the land of Bangladesh to conduct their terrorism in another country and we will create enmity by harbouring them -- this cannot be," she said, while addressing top Police officials at her office in observance of the Police Week. "I know there are risks. I also have life threat but for the sake of the country and its sovereignty, I will not allow that," she said. Hasina said that for the sake of independence and sovereignty, she is taking the risk to protect the country from being used as "the base of another country's militants and terrorists". Hasina also states that her Government will not allow militants to establish their supremacy in the country. "The previous Government failed to figure out the devastating outcome of encouraging such dangerous elements. They did not cast their eyes far into the future," she added. Read less...

The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) claimed to have arrested a Harkat-ul-Jihad-al Islami Bangladesh (HuJI-B) militant from Adabor area of Dhaka city in the night of January 5, reports Daily Star. Without disclosing details about the arrestee, AB Zahid Hossain alias Babu, a RAB press release only said the RAB members also recovered 10 books on jihad from the arrestee. Read less...

International terrorism and organised crime including drug trafficking would feature among the five agreements India would sign with Bangladesh during the ongoing visit by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, according to Times of India. India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said on January 10 that Hasina’s visit promised to be a path-breaking one. “The visit of the Prime Minister of Bangladesh promises to be a path-breaking one and gives both countries a historic opportunity to build a new and forward looking relationship. India is committed to working with the government of Bangladesh to build on our historical and traditionally close links and open new vistas in our bilateral relations,” said Rao. Five agreements would be signed during the visit including on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, transfer of sentenced persons, combating international terrorism, organised crime and illegal drug trafficking, power cooperation and a cultural exchange programme. Hasina would meet her counterpart Manmohan Singh on January 11 (today). She would be conferred the Indira Gandhi prize for peace, disarmament and development for 2009 on January 12 (tomorrow) at President’s House. Read less...

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on January 11 assured New Delhi that Dhaka would not allow its soil to be used as a base for operations by groups inimical to India, her Advisor Abul Kalam Azad said, reports The Hindu. However, India and Bangladesh signed five pacts in the presence of Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his counterpart Sheikh Hasina to add impetus to the bilateral ties that had been on the upswing since the last one year. The five agreements relate to mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, transfer of sentenced persons, fight against terrorism, organised crime and illegal drug trafficking, power cooperation and cultural exchange programmes. “We are confident that this visit would serve to underline that strong India-Bangladesh relations are vital; not just for both our countries, but for the entire region and the international community,” said India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao. Read less...

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on January 11 arrested an Allahar Dal militant from Kurigram Sadar area in the Kurigram District, reports Daily Star. RAB-5 in a press release identified the arrestee as Md Abdul Malek. He was reportedly an accused in a case lodged with Kurigram Sadar Police Station in April 2007. Read less...

Two cadres belonging to the Janajuddha faction of the Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP-Janajuddha), including a ‘local commander’, were killed in a bomb explosion at a field at Baro Mangalgram village in Faridpur sub-district in Pabna District on January 15, reports Daily Star. The ‘local commander’, identified as Shajahan Ali alias Kuza Shajahan, died on the explosion site while another cadre Mohammad Rafiq died later. Police and local people said that the explosion took place when the extremists were making bombs. Read less...

Rajshahi Police arrested two cadres of a newly formed militant group Abbu Bahini at Rayapur village of Hamirkutsa union under Bagmara sub-district on January 17. Arms were recovered from their possession. The arrestees were identified as Majnu and Shahin Alam. The group was formed under the leadership of one Ibrahim of Natore town. Lately, militants were recruiting the teenagers for their group and planning subversive activities like murder and extortion, said the officer in charge of Bagmara Police Station. Read less...

Rajshahi Police arrested two suspected militants from Bagmara sub-district on January 17 for their involvement in organising teens and youths under an unknown secret militant outfit, reports Daily Star. They were identified as Majnu and Shahin Alalm. Both are nephews of convicted Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) leader Abul Hossain. Sources in the Police said that the two militants were recruiting youths for a secret outfit in exchange for BNR 1,000 each during the enrolment and a monthly salary of BNR 6,000. According to report, a Police team of the District detective branch had been monitoring the unknown group's activities for last 15 days. Read less...

Chittagong Police arrested 12 Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) cadres and recovered arms and bomb making materials from their mess at Mistiripara in Chittagong city on January 18, reports Daily Star. Acting on a tip off, Police recovered four revolvers, including three made in Pakistan, three Light Guns (LGs), 26 bullets, 11 cartridges, bomb making materials, 500 grams of gunpowder and some jihadi books from the first and top floor of a four-storied building around 2:00am, said Assistant Commissioner Chittagong Metropolitan Police Double-Mooring Zone Tanvir Arafat. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested ‘regional chief’ of Red Flag faction of the Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP), identified as Abdul Kader, at Nurpur bypass area in Pabna town in the night of January 19 and recovered a Pakistan-made revolver from his possession, reports Daily Star Read less...

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in the night of January 20 recovered five locally made bombs, a pipe-gun and two bullets from Railway Colony camp in the Rajsahi city's Boalia area. None was arrested as the arms were left abandoned, said Major Anwar, Commanding Officer at the RAB camp. Read less...

A 'regional leader' of the Janajudhha faction of the Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP), identified as Makbul Hossain, was shot dead at village Lakhmipur Charpara area under Ataikula Police Stationin in Pabna District on January 21, reports Daily Star. Police said that rivals shot dead Makbul in the early morning. Read less...

A boy was injured as unidentified militants exploded bombs at Chandai village in Atghoria sub-district of Pabna District at about 8:00 (BST) on January 27, reports Daily Star. Read less...

Police in the night of January 27 arrested a cadre of 'Janajudhha' faction of the Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) in Pabna town and recovered firearms from his possession. The arrestee was identified as Md Altaf Hossain. Officer-in-charge (OC) of Atatikula Police Station Md Sirajul Islam said Altaf is a cadre of 'Janajudhha' and accused in several cases. Read less...

A court in Rajshahi District sentenced two Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militants to death on January 28 for killing Rajshahi University teacher Muhammad Yunus in 2005, reports Daily Star. Besides sentencing them to death, Rajshahi Speedy Trial Tribunal fined them each BNR 5000. Read less...

Kushtia Police arrested an operative of the Gono Bahini, identified as Billal Hossain, from the campus of Islamic University on January 29 and recovered three bullets and three bombs from his possession, reports Daily Star. Read less...

Members of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-6) recovered four powerful bombs, one revolver and a magazine in the night of January 30 from the residence of Hatkata Khaleque of Rajapur village under Rupsha sub-district in Khulna District, reports Daily Star. Read less...

Meherpur Police arrested three Left Wing Extremists in Bamundi petrol pump area of Gangni sub-district in Meherpur District in the night January 31, reports Daily Star. The arrestees, identified as Jamrul Islam, second-in-command of Purba Banglar Maobadi Congress [a new faction of the Purba Banglar Communist Party (PBCP)], and his accomplices Halim and Mohirul. They are accused in several cases including that of murder, extortion, bomb attack and abduction, said the Police. Read less...