Bangladesh Timeline Year 2009

Date

Incidents

Two Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) cadres identified as Abdul Hye alias Masud and Khorshed Alam, who were arrested along with 28 grenades on December 30, were remanded to seven-day Police custody.

Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested an imam (prayer leader) of a mosque, identified as Mizanur Rahman, at Bheramara Sub-District of Kushtia District, for his alleged links with an Islamist militant outfit. According to Police, Mizanur went to the local Army camp at municipality rest house at around 7:00pm and urged the Army personnel to quit the camp immediately as a powerful bomb was planted there to kill them.

January 6

A Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) cadre was killed in an encounter between his accomplices and the Police at Baria village in Barisal District. The extremist identified as Touhidul Islam (35) of Swastipur village was part of a group of GMF cadres who had assembled at Baria graveyard when Police carried out a raid. Police recovered a shutter gun and two bullets from the spot. The slain extremist was involved in the murder of businessman Ashraful Islam Bakul on November 22, 2008.

Police arrested another GMF cadre, Sahjahan Ali along with six rounds of bullets during a raid in the Bottail area.

Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) personnel recovered three mortar shells at Jugirampara under Thanchi sub-district in Bandarban District. Acting on a tip-off, BDR personnel raided at a zhiri (hilly water area) near Jugirampara and seized the firearms. Nobody has been arrested in connection with the recovery.

January 10

January 11

Police arrested Boma Shumon, a cadre of the PBCP-Janajuddha, near the Deputy Election Commissioner’s office at Sher-e-Bangla Road in Khulna city. Boma was wanted in six cases filed with different Police stations in Khulna city under Explosives Act in last four years.

Police arrested Manoj Roy, a New Biplobi Communist Party (NBCP) cadre, from Lakkhikhola village in the Dakop sub-district of Khulna District. Roy was wanted in a number of criminal cases.

January 20

The Divisional Speedy Trial Tribunal in Chittagong sentenced Javed Iqbal alias Mohammad, JMB’s divisional chief, to 10 years' imprisonment for his involvement in the August 17, 2005 serial blasts case. Javed was also fined Taka 5000. Three explosions had occurred on August 17, 2005 in Chittagong’s Bahodderhat, Muradpur intersection and OR Nizam Road areas.

January 23

RAB personnel recovered 12 bombs from near a school in Muradnagar sub-district of Comilla District.

January 26

RAB personnel recovered two foreign-made firearms, one bullet and one kilogram of gunpowder from a passenger bus at Garhikhana road in Jessore. The person carrying these arms, ammunition and gunpowder, however, managed to escape.

January 28

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wazed said her Government would not hesitate to take stringent measures to curb militancy in the country. In her first question-answer session in the ninth Parliament, she said, "Whenever action is taken against militants, it is described as an attack on Islam. But it is not right. The militants have no religion and operate beyond boundaries... I have already directed all ministries and the authorities concerned to find out the militants' patrons, financers and sources of illegal arms and ammunitions to root out militancy." Terming militancy a major problem in the country, Hasina said she has already asked the authorities concerned to take necessary steps to form 'South Asian Anti-terrorism Taskforce' in line with the Awami League’s election manifesto for curbing cross-border terrorism.

January 30

RAB personnel arrested a gang of three arms dealers from Nimpara of Charghat Sub-District in the Rajshahi District. Two pistols, including one made in the United States, with four magazines loaded with 13 bullets and a revolver with five bullets were recovered from their possession. The arrested persons were identified as M Rohidul (35) of Helalpur of Bagha Sub-District and his accomplices Mostafizur Rahman Mostak (35) and Raju Ahmed Mintu (29) of Shimulia of Charghat Sub-District.

February 2

A Biplobi Communist Party (BCP) regional leader, identified as Shamsul alias Ali Robin (32), was killed at Kotchandpur bus stand in the Jhenidah District. Police sources said Shamsul had demanded an extortion amount of Taka 500,000 from a trader and asked him to come to Kotchandpur bus stand with the amount. Being informed by the trader, Police personnel attempted to arrest the extremist at the location. In the ensuing encounter, the extremist was killed. Police recovered two shutter guns, two bombs and three bullets from the encounter site. Police sources said Robin was wanted in 19 cases including five for murder.

February 7

Daily Star reported that the Bangladesh government has received information from international intelligence agencies of the US, United Arab Emirates, and Pakistan regarding threat to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s life from international terrorist organisations who are in league with local extremist groups. Two cabinet ministers, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan and Foreign Minister Dipu Moni and intelligence sources confirmed the receipt of the information which said that the month of February could be crucial. "She is a target, and there is no doubt about it," a senior official of a domestic intelligence agency said. Following the threat alert, all scheduled outdoor programmes of the Prime Minister were immediately curtailed.

February 12

A regional leader of the New Biplobi Communist Party (NBCP), identified as Bikash Kumar Bose, was killed by unidentified militants at Charbiharia village under Khoksa sub-district of Kushtia District. Bikash was a close associate of the NBCP chief Akidil Hossain, who was reportedly killed in an encounter with the Police on February 1, 2008.

February 18

The Nilphamari Police arrested a JMB militant, identified as Mashiur Rahman, an assistant teacher of the local Rahmania madrassa, from a village in the Jaldhaka sub-district. A large number of Jihadi books, leaflets and important letters were recovered from Mashiur’s possession. He was arrested on the basis of information provided by 13 JMB militants arrested in Nilphamari, Rangpur and Lalmonirhat Districts during the last two months, the Jaldhaka Police Station Officer-in-Charge, said.

Two terrorists of the Democratic Party of Arakan (DPA), a militant group of Myanmar, were arrested with two firearms on the Myanmar-Bangladesh border at Beng Charipara under Roangchari Sub district in the Bandarban District. The duo, identified as U. Ching Thui and Thui U, confessed their involvement with DPA. Security Forces also recovered one sub-machine gun with 12 rounds of bullet and one Chinese Rifle with eight rounds of bullet from their possession.

February 19

In two separate incidents, the Sirajganj Police arrested five PBCP cadres, identified as Ershad Mahmud, Parish, Zahidul Islam, Ashraf Ali and Saiful Islam, from the Ullapara and Tarash areas. They were wanted in several cases, including murder, robbery and abduction, Police said.

A Rajshahi court framed charges against eight JMB cadres in the Rajshahi University (RU) Professor Muhammad Yunus’s murder case. The accused include Shafiullah Tarek (a follower of militant leader Asadullah Al Galib) and Shahidullah Mahbub (husband of the executed JMB leader Bangla Bhai's niece). Both of them were the mastermind behind the murder, according to the charge sheet. The other accused are JMB's regional commanders, Abu Isa Enamul and Golamur Rahman Mostafa, an adherent of Galib's Ahle Hadith Jubo Shangha, militants Abul Kashem Tufan, Abdul Matin, Abdur Rahman Arif and Mojibur Rahman.

Bangladesh Government said that it has mutually agreed with India to hand over the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) founder Anup Chetia, who has been lodged in a Bangladeshi jail since 1996, reports The Hindu. "We have mutually agreed on the handover, now we have to decide on the formalities of how to hand over," Bangladesh's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hasan Mahmud told CNN-IBN news channel in Dhaka. The mutual agreement "will also include handover of Bangladeshi criminals who have fled to India," Mahmud was quoted as saying in a press release issued by the TV channel. He accused the previous Bangladesh National Party Government of nurturing terrorist groups like the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI-B). "Since 2001, the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami had ministers in their Government who chanted slogans to turn Bangladesh into Afghanistan," Mahmud said. He also added that "HuJI has cross-border linkages not only with Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) but with other organisations also". Mahmud also conformed that the HuJI still has cadres in hideouts in Bangladesh and the Government was trying to locate them.

February 20

A JMB cadre in handcuffs exploded an improvised grenade at the office of the Superintendent of Police (SP) in Gazipur, injuring at least 13 persons, including nine Policemen and three journalists. The blast occurred at around 4:30pm when four JMB cadres, including three women, were being paraded before the media. The SP in Gazipur, Abdul Baten, said Mamun alias Zahid, the male arrestee, flung himself on the recovered grenades on display and later hurled the grenade at the Police and journalists present. The Police had arrested them six hours earlier and recovered five grenades and a cache of bomb-making material at Tongi.

The Chief Judicial Magistrate's Court in Gazipur placed four JMB cadres on a 10-day remand. The militants, Nasrin Akhter, Zahid, Masud and Atique, had been arrested along with three grenades, bomb-making material and books on jihad from a house in East Kalomeshwar village on February 14.

A court in Jamalpur placed three arrested JMB cadres on a seven-day remand. The militants, Abdullahel Kafi, Mehedi Iqbal Ripon and Shamsul Haq, had been arrested on February 14 in Jamalpur town.

Home Minister Sahara Khatun informed the Parliament of the formation of a three-member probe committee headed by Deputy Inspector Feneral (DIG) of Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to look into the JMB activities. The committee was asked to submit its report within three working days. She further said the Government is determined to identify people involved in militancy, their financers and arms and explosives suppliers.

February 23

The Speedy Trial Tribunal in Rajshahi sentenced six PBCP cadres to life imprisonment for their involvement in the killing of union council chairman Abdus Sobhan Chowdhury in Naogaon on August 30, 2002. The cadres were identified as Babu alias Sagor, Akbar-1, Abdus Sabur, Zahidul Islam, Abdul Latif and Chanchal. Each of them were also fined Taka 10,000 each.

February 24

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina while addressing a function at Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) headquarters in Dhaka said that Bangladesh would not allow anyone to use its territory as a springboard for terrorist activities, reports Daily Star. "We believe in maintaining good relations with our neighbours to portrait Bangladesh a peaceful country in South Asia, but we would resist any kind of unfair steps against us with courage and boldness", she said. Terming smugglers as enemies of the country, its people and economy, Sheikh Hasina said no compromise would be made in smuggling firearms, drugs and illegal commodities.

RAB personnel arrested eight suspected JMB militants from four villages - Rampur, Bairaghibag, Goyeshpur and Dullah Chanpur in the Muktagachha Sub-District of Mymensingh District - on February 24. They were identified as M. Anadul Haque, M. Abdul Barek and M. Abdul Mannan of Rampur village, Mohammad Murtaza and M. Saiful Islam of Bairaghibag village, Quari M. Saidur Rahman and Mohammad of Goyeshpur village and M. Nazrul Islam of Dullah Chanpur village. They were interrogated at the RAB office where they confessed to their involvement in militant activities.

February 25

Daily Star reported that several left-wing extremist outfits have started regrouping and resuming their activities in the country's south-western region. The extremist leaders, who had been evading arrest for the last few years, have returned to their areas and are leading the regrouping mission. They are also recruiting fresh cadres to increase their strength, the report added. Such activities have been reported from areas of Kushtia, Meherpur, Chuadanga, Jhenidah, Jessore, Khulna and Bagerhat Districts. Among the extremist leaders who have been active in recent times area the chief of the Gono Bahini Azibor Rahman alias Azibor Chairman and his two key accomplices, Anwar Hossain Anu and Mandar, chieftains of Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) Shaheen and Mukul and their regional commanders Swapan Chakraborty, Abu Taleb and Bakhtiar; and regional leaders of PBCP Janajuddha faction Badiur Rahman, Anwarul Islam and Atiar.

March 3

A 10-year old boy was killed and two other children sustained injuries as a bomb, abandoned in a police station premises, exploded in the Chapainawabganj town. Police said the bomb had been dumped into the dustbin and exploded when three children were playing near the dustbin.

RAB personnel unearthed an illegal firearms manufacturing factory at Pachsira Bazaar of Kalai sub-district in Joypurhat District and arrested one person in connection.

RAB personnel arrested two suspected militants from Konabari in the Gazipur District. The arrested were identified as Osman Gani (28) and Azizul Hakim (30), residents of Baghmara sub-district in Rajshahi. A diary was recovered from their possession.

A tem of RAB personnel arrested five other suspected militants in the Ambagh area of Konabari. The militants, hailing from Barguna District, were subsequently handed over to the Police.

March 5

A speedy trial tribunal in Rajshahi sentenced 12 PBCP operatives to life imprisonment for their involvement in the killing of four persons. All the convicts were also fined Taka 10,000 each. According to the prosecution, four people suspected to belong to a rival extremist outfit had been killed by the PBCP cadres at Foliachapri Beel in the Pabna District on May 11, 2004.

March 12

The Commerce Minister Lt Col (retired) Faruk Khan, who has been coordinating the investigations into the February 25 and 26 killing of 74 people including 52 Army officers at the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Pilkhana headquarters, linked the killings to the militant outfit, the Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). He said some of the BDR personnel arrested for their involvement in the mutiny have connections with the JMB. "We have gathered that a number of BDR jawans arrested in the mutiny case were involved in JMB somehow or other. I won't give more details as that might alert others having links to the mass killings," he told reporters.

Government authorised 14 Police stations in capital Dhaka to bring sedition charges against 27 Hizb ut-Tahrir operatives detained for "distributing provocative leaflets" over the BDR mutiny. The leaflets had urged the civilians to "dislodge the government to save the army and BDR from Indian conspiracies."

Army personnel recovered firearms and ammunition from the remote Aong Jai Karbari Para village in Roangchhari sub-district of Bandarban District and arrested two persons in connection with the recovery. The recovered items included one M16 rifle, one SLR, 18 grenades, 299 SMG bullets and 91 SLR bullets. Two sets of army uniforms, one resembling the Bangladesh army and another of the Indian army were also recovered. . The arrested youths claimed that the arms had been hidden by the cadres of the Myanmar based insurgent outfit, the Arakan Liberation Party (ALP) who had taken shelter in the village.

Immigration police arrested a suspected JMB cadre, identified as Moulana Munsur Alam (45) from the international border between India and Bangladesh at Benapole in the Jessore District. Police sources said that the arrested person was returning from India after five months. An Indian mobile SIM card was recovered from the arrested cadre. He apparently had visited India with a one-month visa and had then stayed illegally in different madrassas subsequently.

March 14

Daily Star reports that the JMB cadres are carrying out their organisational activities from makeshift camps in different char (riverine) areas and remote villages in Sirajganj and adjoining Districts. Quoting intelligence sources the report further said that the outfit has been recruiting new cadres and training them in make shift camps set up in these areas. Several such camps have come up the remote areas of Sirajganj, Bogra, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Lalmonirhat, Joypurhat, Natore, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Pabna, Kurigram, Thakurgaon, Naogaon and Nilphamari Districts.

March 15

Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) outfit distributed leaflets threatening the law enforcement agencies of 'any action anytime' including killing of some people at a few places in Kushtia District. Around 20-25 armed extremists came to Bittipara Bazaar at about 8:30pm (BST) and made an announcement through loudspeakers asking people to take their leaflets, said locals. After giving leaflets to some people in the market area, the cadres fired several rounds and left. They subsequently distributed leaflets in Ujangram, Gajna-bipur, Abdalpur, Ratulpara and some other areas and left the places firing, people said. In the leaflets, the outfit said that they killed businessman Ashraful Islam Bokul on December 21, 2008 for helping the Police to kill GMF leaders Majid, Nobin and Saddam, from December 6 to 9, 2008. The leaflets also threatened to kill several people, including the outlawed Gono Bahini chief Azibor Rahman alias Azibor chairman, younger brother of the slain trader Anisur Rahman Jhantu, Obaidul Islam and Amirul Islam.

March 16

The Cabinet sent back to the Home Ministry its report on the activities of militant outfits in the country asking it to give more information about such organisations and their networks. The report named a dozen such outfits with information on their organograms, sources of funding, links to political parties and their operations. Home Secretary Abdus Sobhan Sikder placed the report that named 12 militant outfits – the JMB, HuJI-B, Hizbut Towhid, Ulama Anjuman al Bainat, Hizb-ut-Tahrir, Islami Democratic Party, Islami Samaj, Touhid Trust, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), Shahadat-e al Hikma Party Bangladesh, Tamira Ar-Din Bangladesh (Hizb e Abu Omar) and Allahr Dal.

March 19

A pipe gun and two bullets of a rifle were recovered from Shah Mukdum Hall of Rajshahi University in the Rajshahi District on March 19. The cleaners of the hall ahd found a pipe gun and two bullets wrapped in polythene on the ground floor of the hall. The Police later seized the weapons.

Two PBCP cadres were sentenced to 37-years imprisonment each for possessing illegal arms. The convicts were identified as Mohammed Ayub Hossain of Brittidebi village and Mohammed Ashraf Ali of Kacherkol village under Shailkupa Sub-District. According to prosecution, Police arrested the two PBCP cadres on August 29, 2003 and had recovered a gun with 32 bullets from their possession.

March 20

Militants are making threats against English-language schools in the Bangladesh capital Dhaka, Police said. Police said principals of several English-language schools told them they had received threatening letters or phone calls from militants and parents of students in the schools have subsequently been alerted of security concerns. The letters asked for money to support the militants or treat those wounded in clashes with Security Forces during the recent Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) mutiny or other clashes. While authorities have not been specific about the threats another source involved in the issue said they were directed against students.

March 21

Police recovered 19 brochures and some leaflets of the JMB from Hotel Al- Baraka in Khulna city.

March 22

The first court of Rajshahi Divisional Special Judge sentenced seven militants of the banned JMB for life in connection with the August 17, 2005 serial bomb blast case filed with the Motihar Police Station. The convicts were identified as JMB’s regional ammunition supplier Torikul Islam, Rajshahi District commander Shafiullah Tarek Kalam, and a zonal JMB commander Abu Isa alias Enamul Haque Mithu, Hasan Ali Ekhwan, Jahangir Alam Abidur and Arif alias Alal. Sheikh Enamul Haq Moni, a supporter of militant leader Asadullah Al Galib, was convicted in absentia. He commanded the JMB's western zone in Rajshahi till 2006 in the guise of a journalist. JMB militants had orchestrated 500 synchronised blasts across the country except in one District.

Police arrested two persons, identified as 28 year-old Jahangir Hossain Mukul, a resident of Avoynagar Sub District in Jessore District, and 39-year old Abul Kashem, a resident of Berabalki village in Mymensingh District, from Katia Uttarpara of Satkhira town, for their alleged links with the JMB.

March 23

An intelligence agency arrested a HuJI-B founding member, identified as Maulana Sheikh Abdus Salam, from his home in the Bashundhara residential area of capital Dhaka. Abdus Salam is the ameer (chief) of the Islamic Democratic Party (IDP). He was born in Sherpur and reportedly went to Afghanistan in the early 1980s and returned in 1989. He also studied in the madrassas of Bangladesh and Pakistan. According to sources, some Afghanistan War veterans led by Abdus Salam officially launched the HuJI through a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club on April 30, 1992.

March 24

RAB personnel neutralised a mini-ammunition factory inside a madrassa-cum-orphanage in the Ramkeshob village of Borhanuddin Sub-District in the Bhola District. During the search operation, nine firearms, 2500 bullets, 3000 grenade splinters, an explosives blaster, 200 grams of gunpowder, bullet-making components and equipment, two walkie-talkies, two bows, two remote control devices, binoculars, four pairs of German-made uniforms, a book on how to operate firearms and booklets on jihad, Moulana Moududi and al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden were recovered. Subsequently, the RAB also arrested four militants, identified as Abul Kalam, Abdul Halim, Jasim and Moulana Mohammad Russell. Referring to the seizure, Lt. Commander Mamunur Rashid who led the operation said, "We've found materials needed to assemble bullets. They include percussion caps, cartridge cases and bullet heads. And all these are made in the UK." "The recovery also indicates they [the militants] have all equipment necessary to make IEDs," Mamun added.

Founding member of the HuJI-B and the ameer of the Islamic Democratic Party (IDP), Maulana Sheikh Abdus Salam, was remanded to four-day Crime Investigation Department custody in connection with the bomb attack on a Communist Party of Bangladesh rally on January 20, 2001.

March 25

Two people, including a Awami League (AL) leader Ruhul Amin Khan, were wounded in a bomb blast at his house in the Laxmipur village of Muladi sub-district in Barisal District. Police said the roof of the room was blown up in the explosion. Ruhul later said that two burkha (veil) clad women had visited him asking for some favour and the explosion occurred after they left the house.

A bomb was recovered at a venue of the Independence Day programme in Sarwarzan Pilot High School ground in the Bamna sub-district of Barguna District. The bomb was hidden under the dais erected for the programme. Police sources said two pieces of electric cable, two pencil batteries, capacitor of an electric fan were found wrapped with red tape along with the bomb and ‘JMB Bomb’ was inscribed on it.

The Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Matiur Rahman Nizami said that militancy has been invented by the AL party in Bangladesh to impede development of the country. Addressing a meeting marking the Independence Day at Dhaka, he said, "Having failed to accept Islam as code of life, they (AL) campaign against the leaders of Islamic movement." He said that the Islamists can never have any link with acts of sabotage.

March 26

RAB personnel recovered two firearms and two round cartridges in two separate raids in the East Shaheed Nagar and Khatiber Hat areas of the port city of Chittagong. The firearms included a light gun and a single-barrel gun. None has been arrested in connection with the recovery.

March 28

Four cadres of the Arakan Army, a Myanmar-based militant group, were arrested by the intelligence agency personnel at Roangchhari Jeep Station in Bandarban District.

March 29

Police arrested a JMB militant from Baje Goalkandi village in Bagmara sub-district of Rajshahi. Police sources said that the militant, identified as Fazlur Rahman (28) was arrested from his house on his return from Maldives where he had fled to evade arrest. Police further said that the arrested militant had previously functioned as a aide to executed JMB leader Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai and is an accused in several cases for alleged torture on opponents.

Police arrested three activists of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in Gopalganj and Thakurgaon Districts on charges of planning subversive activities and selling controversial books. The arrested included JeI Ameer of Muksudpur sub-district in Gopalganj Md Shahidul Islam alias Jahangir Mollah. The other two arrested were identified as Shujan and his father Zahedul Islam, an employee of Water Development Board in Thakurgaon.

Police submitted charge sheets in three cases in connection with the seizure of explosive materials from the JMB operatives and detonation of an explosive at Gazipur District Police Chief’s office.

Army personnel arrested three indigenous people with rifles at Ulum Para under Alikadam sub-district of the Bandarban District. The arrested persons were identified as Maan Mro, Thing Wang Mro and Naoring Mro.

April 1

Law Minister Shafique Ahmed said 122 outfits are involved in terrorist activities in the country. Addressing a workshop on 'Anti-Terrorism Act 2009' in capital Dhaka, he said Qawmi Madrassas (seminaries not under Government control) are turning into breeding grounds of religion-based terrorism. He further said that "The education ministry is conducting a survey on madrassas and it is rational to bring all madrassas under government's control."

Home Minister Sahara Khatun directed the law enforcers to take stern action against militants and strengthen intelligence. Speaking at a function on the occasion of 'Police Week-2009' held at Rajarbagh Police Telecom Auditorium in Dhaka, she expressed concern over the existence of militants' hideout at Daulat Khan in the Bhola District and elsewhere in the country. "The government will root out militancy from the country at any cost", she said.

April 6

RAB personnel arrested Faisal Mustafa, a top official of Green Crescent, a British-based Islamic non-governmental organisation for allegedly funding Islamist militancy in Bangladesh, along with a companion at a house in Gazipur, 40 kilometres north of national capital Dhaka. Colonel Rezanur Rahman of the RAB said, "So far we know he has dual Bangladeshi and British nationality and was top man of the NGO named Green Crescent, registered in Britain." Security forces were on the look out for Mustafa after a cache of arms and explosives were recovered on March 24 this year from a madrassa in a village near Bhola district town, 350 kilometres south of Dhaka.

Bangladeshi authorities deported a Sudanese national because Police believe he was using an Islamic charity as a cover to train militants. Abbas Bao, who heads the local branch of the Kuwait-based charity Revival of Islamic Heritage Society (RIHS), was ordered to leave Bangladesh. An unidentified intelligence officer told "We believe RIHS has been giving money to various militant groups in Bangladesh. We cancelled the registration of RIHS in the middle of 2007." He added, "He (Bao) was married to a Bangladeshi woman and he had applied for citizenship here but that application was rejected." Bao had been in Bangladesh since 1996.

April 7

Daily Star reported that 35 out of the 50 'most-wanted' JMB cadres are still active in four northern Districts of the country- Nilphamari, Rangpur, Dinajpur and Lalmonirhat. Police had arrested 15 cadres in the last four months. Police sources said that three special teams have been formed to arrest the militants.

April 11

The Bangladesh Government held a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to finalise its strategy to form a Joint Working Group (JWG) on Counter Terrorism with the British Government. The proposal for setting up a JWG had been made by the UK Government during the caretaker Government's regime. Bangladesh Home Ministry officials said they would also hold a meeting on April 27 to finalise a strategy for a JWG with the US. Gradually, the Government will form JWGs with Australia and Russia too.

April 12

In a pre-dawn raid, the RAB personnel arrested eight JMB militants from the Khilkhet area of national capital Dhaka. Three of the arrested, identified as Abu Sayeed alias Parvez, Yusuf Al Asadullah Bin Wahidullah of Bogra and Sumon alias Abdullah of Narayanganj, were trained to be suicide bombers. One of the other arrested was identified as Abdul Matin alias Zakir of Munshiganj, brother of Salahuddin, a JMB Majlish-e-Shura (the highest policy-making body) member who is on death row. Matin has been trying to reorganise the JMB, RAB sources added. The recovered items from the JMB cadres included 10,000 lithium batteries, ten detonators, and five packets of high power gel explosives besides CDs, audiotapes, computer accessories and manuals, and books and leaflets on jihad.

April 13

Police and RAB personnel arrested seven members of Pakistan-based Islamic organisation Dawat-e-Islami from a flat at Patharghata area of Chittagong District on suspicion of linkages with militants. The arrested have been identified as Sohel Tahery, Mozammel Attary, Kalimullah Qadery, Mahmudul Hasan alias Mehmud Attary, Boshar Attary, Nurul Azim Attary and Faruk Attary. Nine passports, four computers, one scanner and one printer, a number of CDs and VCDs, several booklets and leaflets on teaching of Islam and some documents were recovered during the raid. Claiming the organisation truly religious-based organisation, one of the arrested Nurul Azim said the organisation started its activities in Bangladesh in 1985 and now covers 22 Districts of the country and around 70 countries.

Police arrested two suspected JMB cadres from Boiragibagh in Dullah union of Muktagachha Sub-District in Mymensingh. Two pistols along with five rounds of bullets were recovered from the possession of the arrested militants. The arrested were identified as Russel (28) of Dhaliman village in Trishal of Mymensingh and Fazlur Rahman (30) of Mir Kumini village of Tangail.

Investigators claimed that the Bangladesh-born British citizen Faisal Mostafa, now detained in Dhaka, has close links with the JMB. Mostafa allegedly met executed JMB supremo Abdur Rahman several times, and kept in contact with Saidur Rahman, the now-on-the-run boss of the militant organisation. On many occasions, Saidur visited Faisal’s Green Crescent madrassa (seminary)-cum-orphanage at Ramkeshob village in Borhanuddin Sub-District of Bhola, where the RAB personnel had discovered a mini-munitions factory on March 26.

April 14

Three suspected JMB militants were arrested along with 50 jihadi publications, including books written by militant leader and Ahle Hadith Andolan Bangladesh (AHAB) chief Asadullah Al Galib, in Naogaon District. The trio were identified as Abdul Karim, a bakery employee, Shahadat Ali, a tailor, and Hafez Faruk Hossain, a teacher at the Shikarpur Hafezia madrassa. According to Police sources, the three militants are also members of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and Abdul Karim was reportedly the president of Shikarpur union of JeI in Sadar sub-District in Naogaon. The trio is reported to have confessed to having links with the outlawed militant outfit JMB under JeI cover, adding, the three were plotting to carry out subversive activities on Pahela Baishakh (the New Year).

April 15

Police arrested a JMB cadre from Shahebganj Bazaar in the Naogaon District. He was identified as Hamidur Rahman (46), a close aide of the executed JMB leader Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai. The militant was returning home from his hideout when he was arrested.

RAB personnel arrested a JMB cadre, identified as Bipul Ahmed, from Rajshahi city. RAB sources described him also as an accomplice of Bangla Bhai.

April 16

The Metropolitan Sessions Court in Dhaka framed charges against 14 operatives of the HuJI-B, including its chief Mufti Abdul Hannan, in two cases filed in connection with the Ramna Batamul bomb blast of April 14, 2001. Judge A. N. M. Bashir Ullah rejected the discharge petitions submitted by the counsels for Hannan and five others. The court fixed April 28, 29 and 30 for trial of the case filed under the Explosive Substances Act and set May 3, 4 and 5 for trial of the murder case.

A JMB cadre, identified as Satkhira, who was arrested on April 13 from his house at village Kushkhali in Sadar sub-District, was remanded to five-day Police Custody.

April 17

Police arrested 31 Hizb-ut Towhid (HuT) militants, including its Kushtia regional chief, and seized books and leaflets on Jihad from the Pather Disha office at Bara Bazaar in Kushtia town, while they were holding a secret meeting. Police also recovered two kilograms of a white powder, which is yet to be identified. Police claimed that among those arrested, six were top-level leaders of the outfit, including two alleged militant trainers who are also policy-makers of the group. Police said it was their monthly gathering, where several top leaders went there to indoctrinate the youth. Police sources said a large number of trained HuT militants are active in Kushtia, Meherpur, Chuadanga and Jhenidah of Khulna division. Other sources said at least 1200 trained cadres of the outfit are active in the region. Most of them are madrassa students belonging to poor families and Imams of mosques. According to a press report published a few months earlier, the security agencies have listed 29 Islamic extremist organisations for suspected involvement in militancy and HuT is one of them.

The Jessore Police arrested nine Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS) cadres including the party's Jessore District unit president in Baniargati Girls madrassa, on militancy charges. They were identified as Jessore District unit ICS president Abdullah-Al-Mamun and activists Shafiqul Islam, Iqbal Hossain, Mominur Rahman, Rabiul Islam, Mostaq Ahmed, Hadiuzzaman, Saiful Islam and Jahangir Hossain.

April 18

A court in Kushtia sent 31 Hizb-ut Towhid cadres, including its regional chief, to jail. These militants had been arrested on April 17 from the outfit’s office ‘Pather Disha’ at Barabazaar in the Kushtia town while holding a secret meeting.

April 19

A JMB regional leader was arrested from a remote village on the bank of Teesta river in the Jaldhaka Sub-District of Nilaphamari District. The arrested militant, identified as Moshiur Rahman (38) of Purba Balagram village, had reportedly gone into hiding four months ago. Police recovered Jihadi books, leaflets and other materials from his possession.

Akbar Hossain Khan, a Field Officer with the National Security Intelligence, was arrested in connection with the April 2004 seizure of 10 truckloads of arms meant for the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). Bangladesh authorities have revived investigations into the seizures case recently. A Criminal Investigation Department official said that Akbar Hossain Khan "is now being interrogated after he was remanded in custody for two days under a court order following his arrest." The investigations have revealed that Hossain had hired the 10 trucks under a fake name to carry the weapons. Investigators had earlier questioned 26 Navy officials, who were serving at that time in Coastguard on deputation. Officials said there was a deliberate attempt on the part of the then administration under former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government to suppress facts in the case.

April 20

Six suspected JMB militants, including two women, were arrested from Jamalpur town. A joint team of the RAB personnel and Police raided a house at Phulbaria Munshipara and arrested Abdus Salam (25) of Daspara in Tangail District, Mizanur Rahman (21) of Gopinathpur in Jamalpur, Mohammad Zakaria (28) of Krishnapur in Sherpur, Rabeya Begum (23), Tareque Mostafa Masum (29) and Syeda Halima Yasmeen (age not specified) of Moghbazar in capital Dhaka. The militants had rented the ground floor of the three-storey house at Munshipara around one and a half months ago.

The Government formed a 17-member high-profile committee to tackle militancy in the country and mobilise public opinion against militant activities. The committee which is led by State Minister for Home Tanjim Ahmed Sohel Taj is comprised of top officials of seven ministries and law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Home ministry sources said the committee will evaluate the procedure for investigation into all major subversive acts carried out in the country.

April 21

Police intensified security around the United Nations (UN) and other foreign aid agencies after regional offices of the UN and International Federation of Red Cross (IFRC) received militant threats at Barisal. "We enforced tight security around the UN, UNICEF and IFRC offices, deploying extra forces and installing makeshift check points," said Nurunnabi Chowdhury, officer in charge of the Kotwali Police station in Barisal city. The intensified security came as suspected JMB activists sent letters to the regional offices of the two organizations, asking them to shut down their offices or "face death".

Seven Dawat-e-Islami members arrested on April 13 from at Nijumiah Lane in Patharghata of Chittagong for suspected link with militant activities were acquitted of charge and released. The investigation officer maintained that the arrested persons have no association with any militant organisations and anti-state activities.

April 23

Security Forces arrested 22 suspected militants, most of them women, in a raid in the south-western Barisal District soon after enforcing stepped up vigil around foreign missions following threats from Islamist extremists. The RAB arrested 22 suspected militants, including 21 women, while they were holding a meeting early morning in the District town, 117-km north of the capital Dhaka.

April 26

Police arrested a suspected JMB cadre at Ukilpara Mahalla in the Nagaon town. The arrested militant, Abdul Gaffer was described as a close accomplice of Bangla Bhai, the executed leader of the outfit. Police sources said that the arrested militant had established a torture camp at his house at the behest of Bangla Bhai in 2004.

April 28

A top-listed cadre of the PBCP-Janajuddha, identified as Siddiqur Rahman alias Biplob (28), was killed during an encounter between the RAB personnel and PBCP extremists at Ramchandrapur village in the Jhenidah District. A RAB trooper and a Policeman were injured during the encounter, which occurred when Security Forces raided a PBCP hideout in search of a trader who was abducted by the extremists on April 27 from Ganna union of the District. A revolver, four round bullets, one shutter gun, one motorcycle, two mobile phones, two hand bombs and a mobile SIM were recovered from the incident site.

PBCP cadres killed a local leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami in Ullapara Sub-District of Sirajganj District. The slain Jamaat leader has been identified as Saiful Islam of Aligram village who was president of the Baro Pangashi union unit of the JeI.

April 29

Quoting intelligence sources, Daily Star reported that four Islamist militant outfits are regrouping their cadres in 12 Districts in the south-western region of the country. 40 top ranking militant leaders are overseeing the activities of nearly 10,000 cadres in these Districts, the report added. This information has been provided by 31 cadres of the Hizb-ut Towhid who were arrested from Kushtia District last week. The outfits active in these Districts have been identified as the Allahr Dal, JMB, HuJI-B and Hizb-ut Towhid. Their activities have been reported from ten Districts of Khulna division -- Kushtia, Meherpur, Jhenidah, Magura, Chuadanga, Jessore, Khulna, Narail, Bagerhat and Satkhira and in two Districts of Dhaka division - Rajbari and Faridpur.

A suspected suicide squad member of the JMB, identified as Sheikh Shahjahan (43), was arrested at national capital Dhaka’s Shyampur locality. Police sources said he was a charge-sheet-accused in the case filed in connection with a bomb blast at the JMB leader Rifat's house in Sylhet Kotwali on September 26, 2001.

Abed Ali, a victim of JMB’s torture campaign in 2004, filed a case against approximately 70 people, including two former ministers and a parliamentarian belonging to the BNP, with a court in the Bagmara Sub-District of Rajshahi District. The BNP leaders have been identified as former Post and Telecommunication Minister Aminul Haque, former Deputy Minister Ruhul Kuddus Talukhdar Dulu and former parliamentarian Nadim Mostafa. Abed Ali had been maimed by the JMB militants after he refused to pay them extortion money.

May 2

A GMF cadre identified as Rafir Uddin, was killed by cadres of the rival Gono Bahini outfit at Balarampur village in the Kushtia District. A note left on his body accused the slain extremist of killing a cadre of the Gono Bahini in Alamdanga months ago.

May 3

A PBCP- Janajuddha cadre, Altaf Hossain Fakir (32), was killed by rivals within the same outfit in the Faridpur Sub-District of Pabna District. Family members of the slain extremist told Police that a group of armed PBCP cadres came to his house and shot him dead.

Sahab Uddin, the former Director (security) of National Security Intelligence (NSI), the civilian intelligence agency, was arrested from the national capital Dhaka’s Green Road for his alleged involvement in arranging transport and equipment for carrying the illegal arms and ammunition seized in Chittagong on April 2, 2004. Sahab Uddin, a wing commander of the Bangladesh Air Force who joined the NSI on deputation, had gone into voluntary retirement soon after the arms haul. The arrest was made after detained NSI Field Officer Akbar Hossain Khan in a confessional statement before a magistrate on April 2 said that he hired seven trucks and a crane from Greenways, a transport agency, for carrying the arms and ammunition on orders of Sahab Uddin.

May 4

RAB personnel recovered arms, ammunition, bombs and bomb making materials from a nursery at Hamidpur in the Jessore District. The seizure included three locally made guns, ten bullets, one kilogram gunpowder, 500 gram explosives, bombs and an unspecified quantity of bomb making material.

May 9

A cadre of the PBCP-Janajuddha, identified as Saidur Rahman (32) was killed in a shootout between RAB personnel and PBCP cadres at Khaskarra village in Alamdanga Sub-District of Chuadanga on May 9. The PBCP cadres were holding a meeting at a mango orchad when RAB carried out the raid. A revolver, three bombs and 20 bullets were recovered from the site.

Police arrested seven Hizb-ut-Tahrir cadres from the Badda area of national capital Dhaka and recovered leaflets containing provocative statements over the BDR mutiny. A laptop, some CDs and a banner were also recovered during the raid.

May 10

Police arrested a JMB ehsar (full time) cadre, identified as Mohammad Yunus (32), at Basail Sub-District. Police sources said Yunus had been absconding since the country-wide serial bomb blasts on August 17, 2005. He was involved in arms loot and assault on Police in Joypurhat, bomb blasts at four cinema halls in Mymensingh, and bomb blast on Netrakona Udichhi (a cultural centre) premises.

RAB personnel seized chemicals and other materials used for making bombs and leaflets of Hijb-ut Tawhid from Jameya Arabia Khwaja Moeenuddin madrassa (seminary) compound in the Barisal city. The recovered items include half a kilogram of chemicals, six capacitors, one six-volt battery, electric circuit boards, a watch, components of a watch, a remote control unit, large marbles and splinters and 13 leaflets.

Yunus Ali (32), a JMB coordinator for the greater Mymensingh District, was arrested at his uncle's house at Habla Dakkhin Para village in the Basail Sub-District of Tangail District. He had been absconding since the serial bomb blasts across the country on August 17, 2005.

May 11

Left-wing extremists belonging to the Nakshal Bahini killed one of their colleagues at a crowded market at Shibpur village in the Atghoria Sub-District of Pabna District. The slain extremist was identified as Jamal (30) of Durgapur village.

Altaf Hossain Master (42), a fugitive JMB cadre, was arrested at his house at Konopara in the Bagmara Sub-District of Rajshahi District.

May 12

The Government announced zero tolerance against militancy, terrorism and any attempt to disrupt the law and order situation as a 17-member National Committee on Militancy Resistance and Prevention held a meeting at the Home Ministry. State Minister for Home Affairs Sohel Taj said a three-phase programmes will be undertaken in short, medium and long terms to deal with a twin-problem posed by militancy and terrorism. "Militancy is under control but that does not mean it does not exist," Taj added as reports come in almost every day about the arrest of suspects. He also said since militants operate beyond geographical boundaries, the Government will share information and experience with neighbouring countries to deal with the problem.

May 13

RAB personnel arrested four armed cadres of the PBCP- ML faction from Radhuni hotel at Moilapota Road under Sonadanga Police Station in Khulna District. According to RAB sources, the extremists were caught while receiving Taka 3,000 from a businessman.

May 14

RAB personnel arrested 'Boma Mizan', described as the explosives expert of the JMB from a house at Taltola in national capital Dhaka’s Mirpur area. Mizan’s wife attempted to evade arrest by exploding a bomb which critically injured her and two of her children. Around 100 RAB personnel including top-ranking officers participated in the raid. A pistol, two bombs, two grenades, several rounds of ammunition, and bomb-making materials were recovered from the house. According to RAB sources, Mizan was involved in the countrywide serial blasts on August 17, 2005.

May 15

RAB personnel neutralised a mini-munitions factory of the JMB from East Monipur in national capital Dhaka’s Mirpur locality and recovered a huge cache of bombs and bomb-making materials. The raid was carried out following information obtained from detained JMB explosives expert 'Boma Mizan' and his wife Sharmin, who had been arrested on May 14. The recovered items included 11 bombs, a pistol, and a huge stash of chemical residues, plastic explosives, grenade casings, fuses and detonators. The RAB sources said that the seized materials could be used to make at least 1,000 bombs.

May 18

Four suspected JMB cadres, arrested earlier on May 17 night, were sent to jail by a court in Kushtia.

JMB’s explosives expert 'Boma' Mizan told his interrogators that the outfit had close links with Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), an insurgent group in the Arakan state of Myanmar. RAB interrogators told that Mizan and some other JMB operatives received training from RSO arms experts in a camp near Myanmar border in 2002. In exchange for the firearms lessons, JMB trained Rohingyas to manufacture improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Mizan also told that the HuJI-B too had strong linkages with the RSO.

May 19

Kotwali Police in the Faridpur District recovered two firearms and 27 bullets from a water body in the Sree Angayan area of the town. The items recovered include one SBLL foreign gun, one shooter gun, 10 shotgun bullets and 17 Chinese rifle bullets.

May 21

The national probe committee on Bangladesh Riffles (BDR) mutiny did not find any militant, political or foreign links to the carnage at Pilkhana headquarters. "BDR jawans committed the murders on their own. Our investigation did not find any involvement of outsiders--political leaders, militants or foreign forces," an unnamed member of the Government probe body told. According to the 309-page inquiry report submitted to Home Minister Sahara Khatunon, the BDR rank and file already had grievances pent up for years. It also said the mutiny was continuation of the revolts in 1973 and 1991 over leadership in the border force, added the probe body member. Meanwhile, some unidentified sources close to the committee said that several BDR personnel had claimed the mutiny was part of their movement against discrimination by the Army officers deputed to BDR. In its report, the committee recommends that those responsible be tried under the military act for a speedy trial. It also suggests that BDR personnel should not be engaged in programmes like 'Operation Dal-Bhat', which was introduced to contain price hike of essentials during the caretaker Government rule. It also advised a further inquiry into the claims of foreign links.

May 22

PBCP cadres distributed leaflets in Bagmara and Durgapur Sub-Districts urging people to support their activities. They also pasted posters on walls of houses and educational institutions at Raghunathpur, Kismat Ganokoir, Badail, Koyamajompur, Ujankhalsi of Durgapur and Mohonganj, Mandipara and Jamloi of Bagmara, eyewitnesses said.