BNP-Jamaat’s Involvement in Violence Becoming Crystal Clear

A leading activist of Islami Chatro Shibir, Jamaat E Islami’s student wing (assessed 2013’s 3rd most active non state armed group in the world by IHS Jane’s Defence Weekly), was arrested with four other fellow members from Mahakhali area of Dhaka with 130 petrol bombs in his possession and other bomb-making materials in his possession. Mostafizur Rahman, 23, the lead culprit is the President of Islami Chhatra Shibir’s Banani unit, while the rest, namely Jainal Abedin (20), Arifuzzaman Arif (18), Atiar Rahman (22), and Khalid Saifullah are members of this terrorist outfit masquerading as a student organization. One kilogram of gunpowder, 10 kilograms of stone chips, three kilograms of nails and two liters of petrol were recovered in addition to the prepared bombs (Source: bdnews24, 21/01/2015).

Several other Shibir activists were arrested from various areas of Chittagong on the evening of 18th January. Two Shibir activists named Kobir Hossian (18) and Sohail (18) were arrested red-handed at around 8.00 pm with two petrol bombs and one Molotov cocktail as they were preparing for hurling them on passenger buses or other vehicles in Chitagong’s Ichaikar Pool area falling under Bakolia Police Station. Earlier on Thursday, another Shibir activist was apprehended with Molotov cocktails in his possession from city’s Sarson Road area. (Source: bdnews24, 18/01/2015).

5 people were burnt and killed, including a woman and a child, in an arson attack on a bus by Jamaat Shibir activists in Mithapukur, Rangpur. Several of the arrested 17 Jamaat Shibir activists admitted to their role in this heinous massacre on unsuspecting bus passengers (Source: Samakal, 15/01/2015).

In another development, arrested activist of Jatiyobadi Chatro Dal, student wing of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), 24 year old Anupam Chandra Roy has confessed that he was involved with two major incidents of arson since December 24th (which killed 3 including one on-duty policeman and injured three others). He was influenced by the Joint Convenor of Mohammadpur Thana Chatro Dal, Robiul Islam Noyon and Joint Secretary of Chatro Dol Sohel and top Chatro Dal leader Firoz. These gang of criminals masquerading as student leaders used people like Anupam and other ambitious low-tier activists of Chatro Dal to attack unsuspecting road users with petrol bombs and Molotov cocktails. People like Noyon, doing the dirty acts on the streets, are promised of good positions within the party depending on their performance of killing people. Leaders like Noyon and Firoz were in turn instructed by even higher party leaders. (Source: Daily Ittefaq, 16/01/2015).

In a related development, a student leader of BNP, Mahbubur Rahman Bappi died at around 6 am on Thursday after suffering injuries in an explosion cuased while he was making bombs for use in BNP-Jamaat's blockade. He was the General Secretary of BNP's student front Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s New Market Unit (Source: bdnews24, 22/01/2015)