Bangladesh Government Blacklists HUT

by Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury
January 2, 2011

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1201/bangladesh-government-blacklists-hut

This is the first news of the New Year! Bangladeshi ministry of Home Affairs has finally blacklisted notorious anti Semitic Islamist group Hizb Ut Towhid [HUT]. This has been the major initiated by the government against this militancy group since we in Weekly Blitz continued publishing articles and editorials exposing the activities of Hizb Ut Towhid since 2005.

Hizb Ut Towhid [HUT] is known in Bangladesh to most of the people as 'Hammer Party', as the members of HUT attack secular and anti-Islamist forces in the country with hammer and tobacco dust. The first ever attack by HUT members took place in the country at Barisal district in 2001. The second attack took place on June 17, 2002 in the same district. At the time, 11 members of this notorious group though were arrested, but later all of them were released on bail.

On September 26 2003, members of Hizb Ut Towhid murdered Abdul Malek at Naranganj district as he commented against Islamist militancy. Goal of Hizb Ut Towhid is establishment of Sharia State through jihad. It also supports Islamist militancy, Jihad and various forms of anti-Semitic activities. Hizbut Towhid operates under the leadership of Bayejid Khan Panni alias Selim Panni [84]. He is known as 'Imamuzzaman' [Leader of the Age] to the followers of this notorious group. Panni is the younger brother of BNP [Bangladesh Nationalist Party] leader late Humayun Khan Panni.

Bayejid Panni established this Islamist militancy group in 1992. In 1994, for the first time, Hizb Ut Towhid started operating openly through organizing public meetings and 'orientation courses' in the country. It has published large volume of Jihadist books and CDs, which are being distributed and sold by the cadres and members of Hizb Ut Towhid.

Panni hails from an affluent family and he was initially the main funder of this militancy group. But for past few years, he has been in dire financial crisis following internet family feud.

Head quarter of Hizb Ut Towhid is located at Dhaka's Uttara area, where one Mashiur Rahman is working as the main commander of this notorious group. It also has female squad of at least 300 members. Most of the members operate during dark hours. They are known as 'Balagh'. These female cadres of Hizb Ut Towhid are also given guerilla training. Hizb Ut Towhid also houses at least 25-30 highly educated young female cadres, whose main target is to extract money from rich businessmen in by putting them into romantic trap. Finally, these female cadres donate major segment of this fund to Hizb Ut Towhid activities. They [these young HUT cadres] also help the group in collecting arms and ammunitions from various international sources.

Since 2008, Hizb Ut Towhid has established secret connections with Iranian and Palestinian regimes. It is learnt that, anti-West and anti-Semitic publications and activities of this notorious militancy group is also funded by Iran and Palestine. A section of Hizb Ut Towhid young cadres also maintain links with Kashmir based militancy groups as well as Lahkar-e-Toiba and Sipahi Sahaba.

Bangladeshi intelligences sources confirmed that, Hizb Ut Towhid currently is operating in 16 districts in Bangladesh. It also operates a number of business establishments in Bangladesh as well as a number of cities in the world. One of the major sources of income of Hizb Ut Towhid is illegal money laundering business. It earns US$ 30-35 million annually from this sector. HUT also has valuable properties in various cities in the world, which are mostly purchased through deep under cover agents of this militancy group.

Following blacklisting Hizb Ut Towhid, Bangladeshi intelligence has already started closely monitoring the members of this notorious group. Special surveillance has already been enforced within the Uttara headquarters of HUT.

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