e-News® | The NEWS Company…DHAKA, Jan 13, 2016 : The operations of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) that came into light after the August 17, 2005 cross-country bombings, is now in a shambles as its 56 operatives have been sentenced to death, 154 to life term imprisonment and 239 others to different jail terms. Of the death-row convicts, JMB’s top leaders including its supremo Maulana Shaikh Abdur Rahman, his second-in-command Siddiqul Islam Bangla Bhai, military commander Ataur Rahman Sunny, think-tank Abdul Awal, Majlish-e-Sura members Khaled Saifullah and Salahuddin were hanged to death on March 30, 2007 in the case of killings of two judges in Jhalokathi district.
“JMB’s activities have been brought almost under control as law enforcers have arrested its top leaders. Many of them have been sentenced to deaths, life terms and different jail terms,” Joint Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Monirul Islam told #thenewscompany.
Referring to the recent crackdown on a JMB dean at Mirpur in the capital city in which three JMB men were held with handmade grenades, explosives and suicide vest, he also said, “The JMB men are trying to regroup, but they have no strength to carry out subversive acts as the law enforcers have been put on high alert against militancy.”
In another recent drive in Chittagong, three JMB operatives arrested along with one MK-11 high precision semi-automatic sniper rifle (used by US Navy SEALs), two revolver magazines, 252 rounds of bullets, five kilograms of explosive gel (which can be detonated remotely), 25 detonators (used to detonate explosive devices remotely), 12 set of military uniforms (shirt and trousers) and an extra shirt, a pair of a major’s insignia.’
A total of 357 cases were lodged against JMB operatives till November last year. Of the cases, trial in 145 cases have already been disposed of, 183 cases are now under trial, charge sheets in 328 more cases have been submitted, three cases are investigation, police headquarters sources said. Besides, law enforcers have so far arrested 1,792 JMB men in different cases while 2,043 JMB men have charge-sheeted in different cases and 513 others are still at large, the sources also said.
“In a single incident of cross-country bombings on August 17 in 2005, a total of 161 cases were lodged accusing 660 members of the JMB. Of them, 103 cases have already been disposed of while 58 cases are under trial,” Media Wing Director of RAB Commander Mufti Mahmud told #thenewscompany earlier. Courts awarded death sentences to 15 JMB men, life term to 118, different other terms to 116 others and acquitted 118 others of the charges, sources said.
In the latest verdict on August 10 last, a Dhaka court sentenced 17 JMB men to 10 years imprisonment in an explosive case in connection with exploding bombs at nine spots of Gazipur district. With the latest verdict delivered Thursday against Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) men in blogger Ahmed Rajib Haider murder case, a total of 183 cases relating to militancy have been deposed of with sentencing deaths to 69 militants, life terms to 162 and different jail terms to 239 others while 364 more cases are now under trial, the sources added, fifty six, 11 and two members of the banned militant outfits JMB, Harkutul Jihad Al Islami Bangladesh (HuJIB), and ABT were awarded death sentences respectively.
JMB chief Maulana Shaikh Abdur Rahman, HuJIB (Harkatul Jihad Al Islami Bangladesh) operational chief Maulana Abdul Hannan were among the death sentence awardees. A total of 2,856 operatives of different militant outfits have so far been arrested while the number of the fugitives is 660.
Of the arrestees, 1793 militants are from JMB, 208 from HuJIB, 693 from Hizbut Tahrir, 23 from Hizbullah, 80 from Allahar Dal, eight from Hizbut Tawhid, 28 from Hizbut Tawhir Ulaiyah Bangladesh, 14 from Ansar Ullah Bangla Team, and 10 from Shaheed Hamza Brigade. Of the 591 militant cases, the JMB is facing most of the cases while Hizbut Tahrir facing the second largest cases.