Bangladesh: Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2012

former Jamaat-e Islami (JeI) Chief Ghulam Azam, and its assistant secretary general Muhammad Kamaruzzaman appealed to the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) to exempt them from the crimes against humanity charges. The prosecution has to submit the rearranged charges against Azam by January 5 and against Kamaruzzaman by January 12 as per the court order. Read less...

The ‘operational commander’ of Gonomukti Fauj, identified as Motaled Hossain (45), was killed during a gunfight between cohorts and the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) in Mokhlurchar area of Kushtia District on January 5, reports Daily Star. He was accused in a number of cases, including five for murder. RAB recovered five light guns, a pistol, a revolver, 12 bullets, two hand bombs and two swords from the spot. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel on January 8 arrested a son of detained Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) chief Maulana Saidur Rahman, identified as Abu Talha Mohammad Fahim alias Bashar (21) and one of his accomplices, Mohammad Abdul Alim (23), from Achintola Bahrampur village in Rajshahi District, reports Daily Star. Abu Talha Mohammad Fahim is the finance wing chief and also a Majlish-e-Sura (council) member of the JMB, and his accomplice is an Ehsar (first organizational tier consisting of activists) member of the outfit, According to RAB officials, Bashar is a fugitive accused in an explosives case with Dhaka's Sabujbagh Police Station in 2009 while Alim is a fugitive convict in another explosives case with Manikganj Police in 2005. RAB's Legal Wing Director Commander M. Sohail said they were are also verifying whether the JMB militants were linked to the bombing on December 18 in Dhaka when Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) activists went on the rampage and charged bombs resulting in the death of a youth and injuries to several others. Read less...

The Police arrested one person, identified as Dobir Uddin (52) along with some fake Bangladeshi and Indian currency notes from Kathaldangi Bazar in Horipur sub-district of Thakurgaon District on January 8, reports Daily Star. The law enforcers recovered 12 Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) and 16 Bangladeshi notes of Bangladeshi Taka 1000. Read less...

A close aide of executed Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) leader Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai was arrested at Uttara area of Dhaka City on January 9, reports Daily Star. He has been identified as Emadadul Haque Uzzal (40). Police also seized from his possessions several publications of the banned organisation and some books giving instructions on how to make bomb and operate firearms like AK-47. Nisarul Arif, Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Division stated that, "The theme of many of the publications is motivating people to wage jihad and form suicide squads”. Further, it has been reported that leaders and activists of banned JMB are trying to reorganise giving priority to collecting funds from their wellwishers and building communication with grassroots activists. Quoting detained Abu Talha Mohammad Fahim alias Bashar, a son of detained JMB chief Saidur Rahman, officials of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said the reorganisation attempt was taken at the directives of JMB acting ‘chief’ Sohel Mahfuz who is reportedly in hiding. Read less...

Police seized 75 fake notes of Bangladeshi currency of 1,000 denomination and equipments for producing those, and arrested one person at a local hotel (Sagorika) in Narayanganj District on January 9, reports Daily Star. Read less...

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on January 9 accepted formal charges against former Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) chief Ghulam Azam and its present chief Motiur Rahman Nizami for their alleged involvement in crimes against humanity during the Liberation War of 1971, reports Daily Star. ICT further directed Ghulam's chief counsel barrister Abdur Razzaq to produce the ex-JeI chief before it by 10:30am (January 10), or it will issue an arrest warrant against him. It also fixed February 12 for the hearing on charge framing against Nizami. The two JeI leaders have been charged with involvement in genocide, rape and arson during the Liberation War, the prosecutors said. The tribunal said it had examined the formal charges, probe reports and documents submitted by the prosecution, and primarily found proof that Ghulam and Nizami committed crimes against humanity in 1971. Read less...

Forty years after liberation, former Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) chief Ghulam Azam was sent to jail by the International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on January 11, on charges of committing crimes against humanity and peace, genocide and war crimes in 1971, reports Daily Star. ICT rejecting his petition for bail, ordered sending Azam to Dhaka Central Jail. The prosecution earlier on January 5 brought 62 specific charges against the former JeI chief. On January 9, the ICT accepted the charges and asked his counsel Abdur Razzaq, also a top JeI leader, to produce the ex-chief before the court by 10:30am on January 11. Otherwise, it warned, it would issue a warrant of arrest against Azam. Many considered the arrest to be a big challenge for the government given that JeI activists could let chaos loose over the issue. Read less...

Police recovered a 3.3-rifle, 277 bullets and 16 magazines from Miapara village of Phulbari sub-district in Kurigram District on January 15, reports Daily Star. Police said a labourer, Abdur Rashid, while digging earth in a bamboo garden found a wooden box containing the arm and ammunition. However, no one was arrested, said Mohammad Abdul Monayem, officer in-charge of Phulbari Police Station. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) personnel arrested seven cadres of Islamist outfit Hizb-ut Tawhid in Barisal District on January 16, reports The Daily Star. On information, the team of Rab-8 raided the house of one Al Amin at Rupatali in the city and arrested him along with two other cadres – Sumon Mollik and Khushi Akter. They were holding a meeting at the house, Rab sources said. Later, the same team arrested Rob Mistri, Shafiqul Islam, Zahirul Islam Tuku and Hanif Hawlader when they were distributing leaflets of their organisation at Chowdhuryhat Bazar in Uzirpur. All the seven were handed over to Uzirpur Police Station. The personnel also recovered huge books on the outfit’s activities and Jihad, video CDs and leaflets during the drive conducted in the city and Uzirpur upazila in the District. Read less...

The Police arrested 20 activists of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), from different areas in Sylhet District on January 17, reports The Daily Star. The Police conducted a drive and arrested them from the Alia Madrsasa students’ hostel, Madina Market and Balaura area near Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Sust). Kotwali Model PS officer Khandaker Nawroz Ahmed said, the arrestees are ICS activists and students of different colleges, madrasas and universities. They were arrested in connection with a case filed by Sust unit Chhatra League (BCL) on charge of attacking BCL men and vandalising vehicles. Read less...

the Police arrested two other ICS activists, identified as Mirajul Islam (21) and Kabir Hossain (22), activists of Patuakhali District unit Shibir, in Patuakhali District in the night of January 17. Read less...

Police arrested two other ICS activists in Patuakhali District. Shahnur Rahman Sujon, secretary of Patuakhali District unit BCL said, some ICS activists were holding a secret meeting at Jubilee School playground at about 7:00 pm when a group of BCL men went there and held the two activists while others managed to flee. Later both were handed over to Patuakhali Police. Read less...

The Police in separate raids arrested four Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), activists in connection with Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Sust) incident in Sylhet District on January 18, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees, identified as Farhadul Islam, Azizur Rahman, Humayun Kabir Badrul and Abul Mansur Fahim of Sheikhghat area in the city, were involved in the case filed by Sust unit Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on charges of attacking its activists and vandalising vehicles. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (Rab-6) arrested a Jasod Gano Bahini (JGB) leader from Uttar Mirzapur village under Shailkupa sub district in Jhenaidah District on January 19, reports The Daily Star. The arrestee, identified as Saheb Joarder (21), is son of Shah Alam Joarder of the village and a leader of the underground party in the area. According to Rab-6 commanding officer M Ashraf Ali of Jhenidah, the force recovered a light gun, a shutter gun, a pistol, seven bullets, a billhook, a Chinese axe and some arms making equipment from his possession. Read less...

The Bangladesh Army claimed to have foiled an attempt by some of its officers, apparently driven by religious considerations, to overthrow Sheikh Hasina's Government, reports The Times of India. Government sources here confirmed that those held for the attempted coup were "anti-India'' and wanted to undo the changes effected by the Hasina government in 2011 in the Constitution to make it more secular. Indian agencies have had inputs about a possible coup in Bangladesh for the past few days. Brigadier General Muhammed Masud Razzaq told a press conference in Dhaka on January 19 that the military had specific evidence that up to 16 current and former Bangladeshi officers were involved in the conspiracy. While two retired officers, Lieutenant Colonel Ehsan Yusuf and Major Zakir, have been arrested, some of the main conspirators are believed to be based abroad, said agency reports from Bangladesh. They are said to have links with the 2009 mutiny, only two months after Hasina took over, by Bangladesh Rifles which first exposed the stray extremist elements in the army. Read less...

The Police arrested two Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) activists from their houses in Dakkhin Surma sub district in Sylhet District on January 19, reports The Daily Star. The arrestees are identified as M Sadek Khan, 25, of Kaistarail village, and Billal Hossain, 30, of Barkhala village of the sub district. Jalalabad Police said they arrested the two in connection with a case filed by Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (Sust) unit Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) on charges of attacking BCL men and vandalising vehicles on the campus on January 11. Read less...

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB-1) personnel arrested five cadres belonging to Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) when they brought out a procession in Uttara in Dhaka on January 20, reports The Daily Star. The arrested five cadres were identified as Minhaj Yiamim alias Zibran (35), Mohammad Mosaddeq, Mohammad Mosabbir (22), Ibrahim Khalil (18), and Fahim Afsar Bhuiyan (20). Lieutenant Colonel Rashidul Alam, commanding officer of RAB-1, said RAB personnel arrested the five when they brought out the procession on Road-8 in Uttara-6 after Friday prayers chanting various anti-Government and anti-State slogans. Read less...

Fifteen leader and activists of Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh (JeI) were taken on a seven-day remand after their arrest from the Uttara Khan area of Dhaka on January 21, reports The Daily Star. Acting on a tip-off, a team of Uttar khan Police raided the residence of one Tofazzel Hossain at Borobag of Uttar khan where the activists were holding a secret meeting at around 1:00am to foil the war crimes trial, the Officer-in- Charge said. The Police also recovered huge copies of 18 different books written against Awami League and war crimes trial. JeI leader of Tongi Golam Maula, his son Monir Hossain and Tofazzel are among the arrestees. Other arrestees are yet to be identified. Read less...

The Police arrested an alleged leader of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT) from his residence in the city's Sabujbagh in Dhaka District on January 22, reports The Daily Star. The arrestee, identified as Mohamamd Anisuzzaman (39), hailed from Faridpur village under Titas sub-District in Comilla, is a former teacher of two colleges in the city. Acting on a tip-off, the Police arrested Anisuzzaman from his Kadamtola residence around 2:30pm and recovered the books, posters, leaflets and a computer from there, said Officer-in-Charge Kaiyum Ali Sarder of Sabujbagh Police Station. Read less...

a team of Rapid Action Battalion-1 (RAB-1) arrested Dr Golam Haider Rasul, a cardiac surgeon of United Hospital, from his residence at Uttara Sector-3 around 2:00am, on suspicion of his involvement with HuT, Commander M Sohail, director of Legal and Media wing of RAB told The Daily Star. The RAB-1 also recovered huge leaflets of the outfit from his house. Read less...

A ward unit leader of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) was killed and two others sustained injuries in an attack by an unidentified assailants at Jurain in Dhaka City in the night of January 23, reports The Daily Star. The victim, identified as Sajedur Rahman Saju (35), was organising secretary of Dhaka City Corporation ward-89 BCL unit. Saju's neighbour Rezaul Islam (25) and caretaker of his house Mohammad Billal (38), suffered injuries in the attack. Read less...

Detective Branch (DB) of Police arrested two cadres belonging to Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) in Norda in the capital. The DB also recovered many copies of a draft constitution that the banned organisation would like to adopt, maps, leaflets, compact disks, laptops and various publications from the arrestees. The arrestees are identified as Ashfaq-e-Zaman (32), head of IT in a development project under the local government, and Fazle Wahab Litu (43). Read less...

Unidentified assailants shot dead a former cadre of the Parbatya Chattagram Jana Sanghati Samiti (PCJSS) at his house in Dolubanya village of Baghaichari sub-district in Rangamati District in the night of January 23, reports The Daily Star. The deceased, identified as Naba Bikash Chakma alias doctor Nobel (42), son of Ram Kamol Chakma, used to earn his living as a quack (rural doctor). The Police and locals said a gang of unidentified assailants sprayed bullets on Naba Bikash at his house around 10:30pm when he was watching television with his family after supper. The victim was not involved with politics anymore, they added. Read less...

denying links with Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT), Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir asserted that his party does not believe in “army coup” and even do not know HuT, a banned Islamist outfit. “When the people have started to express their support to Khaleda Zia by making her programmes successful, the government is making the army controversial only to divert their attention,” Fakhrul told a rally in front of BNP central office in Naya Paltan. Read less...

the Army from Jurachhari camp recovered some firearms and ammunition from an abandoned house in the Sadar sub-district in the District. Acting on a tip off, the team led by Lt Col Nazim Uddin recovered a US-made pistol, two revolvers, two light guns (LG) and 28 bullets. However, no one was arrested during the drive. The arms and ammunition were later handed over to Jurachhari Police. Read less...

The Police arrested seven suspected cadres of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) in Madina Market and Dakshin Surma areas early on January 24 in connection with the recent violence on the Shahjalal University Science and Technology (SUST) campus in Sylhet District, reports The Daily Star. The Police said Abu lais (32), Shafiqul Islam (22), and Abdul Aziz Sohag (27), were arrested from Boroikandi Maijpara under Dakshin Surma Police Station while Kotwali Police arrested four persons including Osman Gani, Oli, and Roni from a students' mess in Madina Market area. The arrests were made in the cases the SUST authorities filed for vandalism on the campus and damaging the university buses at different places of Sylhet city during the last week. Read less...

detained physician Dr Golam Haider Rasul, arrested on suspicion of being a policymaker of Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), reportedly disclosed names of doctors, teachers and businessmen involved in the organisation's activities. He made the disclosure on the second day of a seven-day remand after being arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) from the capital's Uttara on January 23, said Habu Miah, Sub-Inspector (SI) of Uttara Police Station and Investigation Officer (IO) of the case. Read less...

The International Crimes Tribunal (ICT) on January 26 took cognisance of the charges pressed against the detained Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) Secretary General Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed, reports The New Age. The tribunal of Justice Nizamul Huq, Justice ATM Fazle Kabir and judge AKM Zahir Ahmed asked the prosecution to submit the copy of the formal charges against Mojaheed and other documents, on which the prosecution wants to rely, by January 31. It also asked Mojaheed’s counsels to receive the documents from its registrar on February 1. Read less...

The Police arrested three activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) in Kotwali of the Dhaka city on January 26, reports The Daily Star. The arrested are identified as Mahidul Islam, Saifullah Ibne Amin, and Asaduzzaman Shakil. The trio were arrested in connection with violence on Jagannath University (JnU) campus on January 24. The Police also detained nine other BCL activists who were later freed at the request of the JnU authorities. Sources said the Police picked up 12 BCL activists while raiding different students' messes, but some teachers of the university went to the Police station and pressured them to free the nine. Read less...

The Police detained 25 persons from a house in Kishoreganj District Headquarters on January 27 suspecting them to be involved in militancy, reports The Independent. The Police claimed the men to be members of Islami Samaj and were questioning them whether they have any link with the militant outfits. Law enforcers have strengthened their activities to net members of the outfit after the army at January 19 press conference indicated its involvement in the recent foiled plot to topple the Government. Read less...

The Police recovered 17 firearms of liberation war period from an under-construction building adjacent to Bhadughar Bazar of Brahmanbaria District on January 27, reports The New Age. The recovered firearms are 10 rifles, one LMG, three magazines of SMG, two magazines of LMG, and one magazine of SLR in an abandoned condition. Sadar Police Station sub-inspector Abdul Motalib said locals suspected that the rusted firearms were kept hidden by freedom fighters during or after the war of liberation. Read less...

The members of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) raided different places in Bandarban District and recovered a cache of arms and explosives from a place under Naikhyangchhari Upazila (sub-district) of the District on January 29, reports The Daily Star. They recovered 11 hand grenades, 27 bullets, 50 sharp weapons, over hundred blankets, huge medicines, one television set and huge amount of Zihadi (holy war) books from the spot. The BGB members damaged the den, which was allegedly used by Arakan Rohingya Solidarity Organization (ARSO) members. Read less...

A Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) activist was killed and around 80 others, including 19 policemen, were injured in clashes between law enforcers and Jamaat-Shibir men in the Rajshahi City's Hatim Khan area on January 30, reports The Daily Star. Following the clashes, some 53 people were arrested from different parts of the city. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led four-party alliance announced that they will enforce a half-day hartal (strike) in the city on January 31 (today) to protest the killing. Read less...

The Police recovered 20 identical tape-wrapped objects, suspected to be bombs, inside a paper box from a spot between Baitul Mukarram National Mosque and National Sports Council in the Dhaka on January 30, reports The Daily Star. Detective Branch (DB) Senior Assistant Commissioner Sanwar Hossain, also a bomb expert, said they were not sure whether those were bombs or not. Read less...

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police denied claims that JeI activist Shafikul Islam was killed in Police firing. Read less...

Barisal District unit of BNP held a demonstration in the Barisal City, protesting the killing of JeI) activists, reports The Independent. The four party alliances held a meeting in front of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) office. The meeting was presided over by Member of Parliament (MP) Mujibor Rahman Sarwar and addressed among others by Advocate Kamrul Ahsan Shahin, Principal Amirul Islam Khasru, and Ebaedul Haque Chand. Read less...

The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led alliance enforced a half-day general strike in Rajshahi city on January 31 in protest against the killing of Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) activists at the time of mass rally at Chandpur and Lakshmipur District, on January 30charge of attack on law enforcement agencies and creating obstacles to the duties of Government agencies on January 30. Read less...