Fight against militancy

Low profile groups remain out of focus

The government has so far banned only six militant groups though nearly 50 organisations have been branded as militants by law enforcers.
And most of the outfits that remain outside the proscribed list are local Islamist militant groups, said intelligence officials.
Talking to The Independent, RAB deputy director general (Operations) Colonel Anwar Latif Khan, too, admitted the existence of some militant groups that were yet to be outlawed.
As for the other the new militant organisations, the RAB intelligence boss said they were all are under surveillance.
Arrested members of various militant organizations revealed during interrogation that their activities were not widespread and that the outfits lacked units across the country.
Officials of the law enforcing agencies said since militant activities of these small groups were limited, they have not recommend their banning .
Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told this correspondent the government was keeping a close watch on militant organizations and hoped their activists would be arrested soon.
Among the militants organisations, Allahr Dal, Hijbul Mojahedine, Khelafat Mojlis, Tashaif Mohol, Hamja Bigred,Islami Jihad Group, Islamic Solidarity Front, Kotol Bahinii, Muslim Millat, Jadid Al Qaeda,
Tamir Uddin, Towhidi Trust , Shahadat e Nobouyat, Islam and Muslimin, and Jamat Al Sadat still operate in some parts of the country. Besides, intelligence officers have found the existence of several low-profile militant outfits.

They include Al-Harat al-Islamia, Jamayatul Falaiya, Tawhidi Janata, Jummatul al-Sadat, Al Jihad Bangladesh, World Islamic Front for Jihad,
Warat Islamic Front, Al-Khidmat Foundation, Muslim Millat Sariyah Council, Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh, Hizbul Mahdi, Jamiatul Ehhia-ut-Turaj, Hayatul Igasa, Bangladesh Anjumane Talamije Islamia, Khidmat E Islam Foundation, Tanjeem Bangladesh, Iktadul Tulah Al Muslemin, Amanatul Forkan Al Khayriya, Ibtedatul Al Muslemin, Al-Sayeed Mujahid Bahini and Ahsab Bahini, Jumi-u-tul Falah, Muslim Millat, Al Harat Al Islami,  Al Islam Martyrs Brigade, Sottobad, Sharia Council , Jamiyat-e-Ahle Hadis Andolon, Tajir Bangladesh, Hayat-ur Elaha, Forkan Movement, Jami-u-tul Ehjia Ertaj, Anjumane Talamij Islamia , Kolemar Jamat, Shahaba Parishad, Mujahedin-e-Tajim Islamia, Eshar Bahini, Al Fahad, and Harkatul Mojahedin.
Law enforcers have also found Mayanmar-based militant groups operating on a low scale.
Among them are the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO), National United Party of Arakan (NUPA), Arakan Rohingya Force, Islamic Solidarity Front, Arakan People’s Army, Liberation Myanmar Force, Arakan Mujahid Party, Rohingya Independents Force, Rohingya Independence Army, Rohingya Patriotic Front, Rohingya Islamic Front and United students Association of Arakan Movement (USM). They were mostly active in Chittagong division during the term of the BNP-Jamaat government.
But after the Awami League government came to power, the Myanmar-based militants were forced to shift their camps out of Bangladesh.
According to the RAB officers, the elite force had arrested 1,181 militants belonging to 16 militant groups.
The Detective Branch has so far arrested over 1,400 militants of 14 outfits.
However, many of those arrested went into hiding after getting bail, while others have been untraceable since their release at the end of their conviction term.
Some criminal experts allege that lack of monitoring made this possible.
According to home ministry sources, the BNP-Jamaat-led government had banned the Shahdat-e-Al Hikma, Harkatul Jihad, JMM, and JMJB.
The Awami League-led government banned Hijbut Tahrir on October 22, 2009. After the ban, several law enforcers collected data on about 50 militant organizations engaged in low-scale activities.
Law enforcers had seized a piece of paper, with ‘Long Live Dawlatul Islam’ written on it, lying inside the Gulshan café, where terrorists killed 17 foreigners after taking them hostage on the night of July 1.
Recently, three Bangladeshi youths posted a video hailing the Gulshan attack and threatening more strikes in the country.
One of the three men, named Tushar, urged Muslims to join Dawlatul Islam, a new militant group.
Intelligence officials learnt the militant leaders, operating under aliases, were trying to strengthen their groups.
The arrest of ABT spiritual leader Mufti Jashim Uddin Rahmani on June 2013, led to the seizure of a hit list for target killing.
The finding made intelligence agencies take a serious view of ABT activities
Special Branch of police submitted a list of active militant organizations, recommending the banning of ban ABT, Allahr Dal, Islamic Solidarioty Front, Tamir Uddin, Towhidi Trust, Shahadat e Nobouyat, and Jamat Al Sadat.
But only ABT, among them, was banned
Among the militants arrest by RAB, 610 are from the JMB, 244 from Hijbut Tahrir, 144 from Hijbut Towhid, 90 from HuJI, three from BEM, six from Islam and Muslimin, eight from Joyes e Mohammad, eight from Allahr Dal, two from Hijbul Mojahedine,  six from Laskar e Toyeba, two from Khelafat Mojlis, two from ULFA, 10 from Tashaif Mohol, nine from ABT, and 32 from Hamja Bigred.
RAB had also recommended the banning of all active militant groups including the Hijbut Towhid.
The home ministry banned Shahadat-e-al Hikma on February 9, 2003, Jama’at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) on February 23, 2005,  Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (Huji) on October 17, 2005 and  Hizb ut-Tahrir on October 22, 2009.
Abdullah al-Ghalib, who was arrested from DOHS Baridhara in Dhaka city on May 31. Detective Branch police said, Ghalib was the coordinator of the Ansarullah Bangla Team.
He had recently created an armed organisation called Junud At-Tauhid Wal Khilafa. He had gathered about 15 to 20 people, and was giving them training.
The CD recovered from him contained a statement of allegiance to IS chief Abu Bakr al Bagdadi, the detectives claimed.
The CD also contained pictures of their training. These had been uploaded on their own website to draw the attention of IS.

Fight against militancy

Low profile groups remain out of focus

The government has so far banned only six militant groups though nearly 50 organisations have been branded as militants by law enforcers. And most of the outfits that remain outside the proscribed list are local Islamist militant groups, said intelligence officials. Talking to The Independent, RAB deputy director general (Operations) Colonel Anwar Latif Khan, too, admitted the existence of some militant groups that were yet to be outlawed. As for the other the new militant organisations, the RAB intelligence boss said they were all are under surveillance. Arrested members of various militant organizations revealed during interrogation that their activities were not widespread and that the outfits lacked units across the country. Officials of the law enforcing agencies said since militant activities of these small groups were limited, they have not recommend their banning . Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told this correspondent the government was keeping a close watch on militant organizations and hoped their activists would be arrested soon. Among the militants organisations, Allahr Dal, Hijbul Mojahedine, Khelafat Mojlis, Tashaif Mohol, Hamja Bigred,Islami Jihad Group, Islamic Solidarity Front, Kotol Bahinii, Muslim Millat, Jadid Al Qaeda, Tamir Uddin, Towhidi Trust , Shahadat e Nobouyat, Islam and Muslimin, and Jamat Al Sadat still operate in some parts of the country. Besides, intelligence officers have found the existence of several low-profile militant outfits. They include Al-Harat al-Islamia, Jamayatul Falaiya, Tawhidi Janata, Jummatul al-Sadat, Al Jihad Bangladesh, World Islamic Front for Jihad, Warat Islamic Front, Al-Khidmat Foundation, Muslim Millat Sariyah Council, Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh, Hizbul Mahdi, Jamiatul Ehhia-ut-Turaj, Hayatul Igasa, Bangladesh Anjumane Talamije Islamia, Khidmat E Islam Foundation, Tanjeem Bangladesh, Iktadul Tulah Al Muslemin, Amanatul Forkan Al Khayriya, Ibtedatul Al Muslemin, Al-Sayeed Mujahid Bahini and Ahsab Bahini, Jumi-u-tul Falah, Muslim Millat, Al Harat Al Islami, Al Islam Martyrs Brigade, Sottobad, Sharia Council , Jamiyat-e-Ahle Hadis Andolon, Tajir Bangladesh, Hayat-ur Elaha, Forkan Movement, Jami-u-tul Ehjia Ertaj, Anjumane Talamij Islamia , Kolemar Jamat, Shahaba Parishad, Mujahedin-e-Tajim Islamia, Eshar Bahini, Al Fahad, and Harkatul Mojahedin. Law enforcers have also found Mayanmar-based militant groups operating on a low scale. Among them are the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO), Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO), National United Party of Arakan (NUPA), Arakan Rohingya Force, Islamic Solidarity Front, Arakan Peoples Army, Liberation Myanmar Force, Arakan Mujahid Party, Rohingya Independents Force, Rohingya Independence Army, Rohingya Patriotic Front, Rohingya Islamic Front and United students Association of Arakan Movement (USM). They were mostly active in Chittagong division during the term of the BNP-Jamaat government. But after the Awami League government came to power, the Myanmar-based militants were forced to shift their camps out of Bangladesh. According to the RAB officers, the elite force had arrested 1,181 militants belonging to 16 militant groups. The Detective Branch has so far arrested over 1,400 militants of 14 outfits. However, many of those arrested went into hiding after getting bail, while others have been untraceable since their release at the end of their conviction term. Some criminal experts allege that lack of monitoring made this possible. According to home ministry sources, the BNP-Jamaat-led government had banned the Shahdat-e-Al Hikma, Harkatul Jihad, JMM, and JMJB. The Awami League-led government banned Hijbut Tahrir on October 22, 2009. After the ban, several law enforcers collected data on about 50 militant organizations engaged in low-scale activities. Law enforcers had seized a piece of paper, with Long Live Dawlatul Islam written on it, lying inside the Gulshan caf, where terrorists killed 17 foreigners after taking them hostage on the night of July 1. Recently, three Bangladeshi youths posted a video hailing the Gulshan attack and threatening more strikes in the country. One of the three men, named Tushar, urged Muslims to join Dawlatul Islam, a new militant group. Intelligence officials learnt the militant leaders, operating under aliases, were trying to strengthen their groups. The arrest of ABT spiritual leader Mufti Jashim Uddin Rahmani on June 2013, led to the seizure of a hit list for target killing. The finding made intelligence agencies take a serious view of ABT activities Special Branch of police submitted a list of active militant organizations, recommending the banning of ban ABT, Allahr Dal, Islamic Solidarioty Front, Tamir Uddin, Towhidi Trust, Shahadat e Nobouyat, and Jamat Al Sadat. But only ABT, among them, was banned Among the militants arrest by RAB, 610 are from the JMB, 244 from Hijbut Tahrir, 144 from Hijbut Towhid, 90 from HuJI, three from BEM, six from Islam and Muslimin, eight from Joyes e Mohammad, eight from Allahr Dal, two from Hijbul Mojahedine, six from Laskar e Toyeba, two from Khelafat Mojlis, two from ULFA, 10 from Tashaif Mohol, nine from ABT, and 32 from Hamja Bigred. RAB had also recommended the banning of all active militant groups including the Hijbut Towhid. The home ministry banned Shahadat-e-al Hikma on February 9, 2003, Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) on February 23, 2005, Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (Huji) on October 17, 2005 and Hizb ut-Tahrir on October 22, 2009. Abdullah al-Ghalib, who was arrested from DOHS Baridhara in Dhaka city on May 31. Detective Branch police said, Ghalib was the coordinator of the Ansarullah Bangla Team. He had recently created an armed organisation called Junud At-Tauhid Wal Khilafa. He had gathered about 15 to 20 people, and was giving them training. The CD recovered from him contained a statement of allegiance to IS chief Abu Bakr al Bagdadi, the detectives claimed. The CD also contained pictures of their training. These had been uploaded on their own website to draw the attention of IS.