Bangladesh continues massive crackdown on Islamists

by Zahid Al Amin
September 21, 2011

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/1816/bangladesh-continues-massive-crackdown-on

Following the arrest of acting ATM Azharul Islam, secretary general of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and some other leaders along with Tasnim Alam, publisher of vernacular daily Amar Desh, who also is a front-ranking Jamaat leader, law enforcing agencies, have arrested more than 800 Jamaat activists till 2:00 pm on September 21, 2011 and the countrywide crackdown is continuing in full swing. Abul Asad, editor of Jamaat-e-Islami's mouthpiece Daily Sangram was also picked up from his residence on Tuesday morning and has been later placed on 19-day's police remand for interrogation.

The crackdown began when thousands of Jamaat cadres flexed muscles on the streets of the capital city as well as other district towns in Bangladesh, thus injuring dozens of civilians and law enforcing agency members as well damaging police and civilian vehicles. Senior police officer Mahfuzur Rahman said, "The Jamaat men were arrested on charge of vandalism, violence, torching vehicles, obstructing duty of police and breaking law and order".

Monday's violent clashes between the police and Jamaat-e-Islami have seen nine cases filed against party's top leadership. A major ally of BNP, Jamaat's leaders has been accused of sparking the clashes in the cases in Chittagong and Dhaka. More than 15,000 Jammat leaders and activists have been indicted in the nine cases lodged with various police stations in Bangladesh. All of the cases are lodged under Speedy Trial Tribunal Act, which will convict the accused maximum within 90 days. More than 3,000 Jamaat men were charged in a single case lodged with a police station in Chittagong, sea port city of the country, which is considered to be one of the strongest bases of Jamaat activities.

Members of intelligence agencies are closely monitoring the situation in the country, while most of the Jamaat-owned business enterprises and large institutions like Islami Bank Bangladesh Limited, Al-Arafah Islami Bank, Ibne Sina Trust, Ibne Sina Hospital etc are under constant police and intelligence surveillance. It is indicated that, raids will begin at the residences and business establishments of Jamaat leaders and activists from late hours of Wednesday [September 21]. Meanwhile, Bangladeshi intelligence agencies as well as Anti Corruption Commission have deputed a number of teams to immediately investigate and identify irregularities within business establishments and financial institutions owned by Jamaat leaders and activists.

In a dramatic bid, Mirza Azam, the general secretary of the Awami League's youth front Juba League, who is the brother-in-law of Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh [JMB]'s executed kingpin Shaikh Abdur Rahman has once again appeared in public after remaining aloof calling upon the members of his organization to stay alert and provide security during BNP's countrywide shutdown on Thursday. Azam, also chief whip of parliament, warned the organisation activists that there would measures against the units that fail to observe the programs. He instructed the supporters and leaders of Juba League to "physically assault each of the opposition men picketing on the streets during hartal [general strike] hours, and hand them over to police". It may be mentioned here that, during the previous term of Bangladesh Awami League in administration during 1996-2011, party leaders came on the streets with arms and explosives to attack opposition activists during hartal. Few people were murdered by the Awami League leaders at Dhaka's Malibagh area, when the then ruling party men opened fire on a procession of the opposition political party. The murder case was dropped when Awami League came to power in 2008's December general election, stating the murder case was "falsely lodged on political motivation". It is feared by many that similar incidents may repeat during the September 21 general strike of the opposition parties, when the ruling party men are already given "free hand" by the party's supreme command of "physically confronting the political opponents".

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