‘Long way to go’ in fight against militancy

Security experts believe the country still faces threats of militant attacks

Although specialised law enforcing units tasked with anti-militant drives have eliminated at least 34 militants and arrested several of their top leaders, security experts believe that threat perception still remained and the country still faces threats of militants attacks in the future.Claiming success, the Counter Terrorism and Transitional Crime Unit (CTTC) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said they have killed as many as 34 militants during special drives in seven hideouts.Security experts, however, countered that the threat perception still remained as several top militants were absconding and likely reorganise their terror outfits.
Senior law enforcement officials, including CTTC chief and Dhaka Metropolitan Police additional commissioner Monirul Islam, repeatedly claimed that they destroyed 90
per cent capabilities of the militant outfits  by killing or arresting a large number of militants.But leading security expert Maj. Gen. (retd) Abdur Rashid differed on this. Speaking to The Independent yesterday, the expert argued that though the law enforcers successfully identified the militant networks in the country, the threat of possible attacks was still there. Rashid said following the loss of top militants of an outfit, second-tier leaders rose up the ranks to fill in the vacuum. “However, it was not possible for the newly appointed leaders to gain military strength like their predecessors,” he added.
Moreover, those financing the militant outfits with a political motive would also hesitate given the significant success of the recent anti-terror drives by law enforcers, he said.
Referring to the Islamic State (IS), the former armyman said the present global situation was also not in favour of militancy.
But differing with Rashid, Brig. Gen. (retd) Sakhawat Hossain, who has written several books on terrorism, said though many militant leaders were killed and a large number were arrested, the country still faced a high risk of further terror attacks.
“More and more militant leaders would emerge if the political and economic crises in the country as well as in other parts of the world are not resolved,” he warned.
As many as 34 deadly militants were killed while 25 innocent people, including 19 foreigners and four police personnel, were killed during several anti-militant drives across the country in 2016.
RAB and CTTC officials claimed that they had destroyed the backbone of the militant outfits, but at least top 20 militants were still on the run and trying to re-organise their terror outfits. The absconding militants include militant commanders, trainer and explosive experts.
The interrogation of arrested militants has revealed the names of at least 20 top militant leaders , mostly from the Neo-JMB. They are Neo Nurul Islam Marjan, Baharuzzaman alias Chocolate, Jahangir alias Rajib Gandhi alias Shuvash, Mainul alias Musa, Rahed alias Rash, Iqbal, Ripon, Khalid, Manik, Mamun, Jonayed Khan, Azadul Kabiraj, Badal, Selim and Mizan.
Other absconding leaders are ABT chief Ziaul Haque (expelled major), ABT leaders Ijaj Hossain and Tehjib Karim, key suspects in a blogger’s murder, and another ABT leader Redoanul Azad Rana.
Most of the names may not be original as militant leaders use several fake aliases to hoodwink law enforcers.
Officials claimed that Khalid and Ripon were hiding in India, while the others were holed up in the country and trying to reorganise their outfits.
Law enforcement agencies are yet to nab most-wanted militants on the run despite repeated claims from the home minister, the inspector general of police and other senior officials that they were under surveillance.
After the killing of Gulshan attack masterminds Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and Zahid, both police and RAB have launched manhunts for the absconding ABT chief as well as for Nurul Islam Marjan, the new chief of Neo JMB. So far, the efforts to nab these two have not met with success.
Sources in law enforcement agencies suspect that both Zia and Marjan are linked to international terrorist groups. With the help of terror financing from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Middle Eastern countries, they are most likely to expand militant networks in Bangladesh.
Law enforcers claimed that some of these leaders were hiding in Pakistan, Malaysia, the UK, Singapore and in some Middle Eastern countries, and conducting their organisational activities from such places.
While Zia is coordinating the military training and other militant activities of ABT, renamed as Ansar Al Islam, another outfit leader Ijaj Hossain is trying to contact international militant outfits.
Intelligence agencies also suspect that both militant leaders may have tried to establish contact with the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba (LeT).Tehjib Karim and blogger murder key-suspect Redoanul Azad Rana, a former student of North South University, are hiding in Malaysia. Law enforcers suspect that Rana was also one of the masterminds behind the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks.

 

Long way to go in fight against militancy

Security experts believe the country still faces threats of militant attacks

Although specialised law enforcing units tasked with anti-militant drives have eliminated at least 34 militants and arrested several of their top leaders, security experts believe that threat perception still remained and the country still faces threats of militants attacks in the future.Claiming success, the Counter Terrorism and Transitional Crime Unit (CTTC) and Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) said they have killed as many as 34 militants during special drives in seven hideouts.Security experts, however, countered that the threat perception still remained as several top militants were absconding and likely reorganise their terror outfits. Senior law enforcement officials, including CTTC chief and Dhaka Metropolitan Police additional commissioner Monirul Islam, repeatedly claimed that they destroyed 90 per cent capabilities of the militant outfits by killing or arresting a large number of militants.But leading security expert Maj. Gen. (retd) Abdur Rashid differed on this. Speaking to The Independent yesterday, the expert argued that though the law enforcers successfully identified the militant networks in the country, the threat of possible attacks was still there. Rashid said following the loss of top militants of an outfit, second-tier leaders rose up the ranks to fill in the vacuum. However, it was not possible for the newly appointed leaders to gain military strength like their predecessors, he added. Moreover, those financing the militant outfits with a political motive would also hesitate given the significant success of the recent anti-terror drives by law enforcers, he said. Referring to the Islamic State (IS), the former armyman said the present global situation was also not in favour of militancy. But differing with Rashid, Brig. Gen. (retd) Sakhawat Hossain, who has written several books on terrorism, said though many militant leaders were killed and a large number were arrested, the country still faced a high risk of further terror attacks. More and more militant leaders would emerge if the political and economic crises in the country as well as in other parts of the world are not resolved, he warned. As many as 34 deadly militants were killed while 25 innocent people, including 19 foreigners and four police personnel, were killed during several anti-militant drives across the country in 2016. RAB and CTTC officials claimed that they had destroyed the backbone of the militant outfits, but at least top 20 militants were still on the run and trying to re-organise their terror outfits. The absconding militants include militant commanders, trainer and explosive experts. The interrogation of arrested militants has revealed the names of at least 20 top militant leaders , mostly from the Neo-JMB. They are Neo Nurul Islam Marjan, Baharuzzaman alias Chocolate, Jahangir alias Rajib Gandhi alias Shuvash, Mainul alias Musa, Rahed alias Rash, Iqbal, Ripon, Khalid, Manik, Mamun, Jonayed Khan, Azadul Kabiraj, Badal, Selim and Mizan. Other absconding leaders are ABT chief Ziaul Haque (expelled major), ABT leaders Ijaj Hossain and Tehjib Karim, key suspects in a bloggers murder, and another ABT leader Redoanul Azad Rana. Most of the names may not be original as militant leaders use several fake aliases to hoodwink law enforcers. Officials claimed that Khalid and Ripon were hiding in India, while the others were holed up in the country and trying to reorganise their outfits. Law enforcement agencies are yet to nab most-wanted militants on the run despite repeated claims from the home minister, the inspector general of police and other senior officials that they were under surveillance. After the killing of Gulshan attack masterminds Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and Zahid, both police and RAB have launched manhunts for the absconding ABT chief as well as for Nurul Islam Marjan, the new chief of Neo JMB. So far, the efforts to nab these two have not met with success. Sources in law enforcement agencies suspect that both Zia and Marjan are linked to international terrorist groups. With the help of terror financing from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Middle Eastern countries, they are most likely to expand militant networks in Bangladesh. Law enforcers claimed that some of these leaders were hiding in Pakistan, Malaysia, the UK, Singapore and in some Middle Eastern countries, and conducting their organisational activities from such places. While Zia is coordinating the military training and other militant activities of ABT, renamed as Ansar Al Islam, another outfit leader Ijaj Hossain is trying to contact international militant outfits. Intelligence agencies also suspect that both militant leaders may have tried to establish contact with the Pakistan-based terror group Lashkar-e-Taiyyaba (LeT).Tehjib Karim and blogger murder key-suspect Redoanul Azad Rana, a former student of North South University, are hiding in Malaysia. Law enforcers suspect that Rana was also one of the masterminds behind the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks.