Bangladesh - News And Discussion

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Defeating a superior tank force - a Beedi asks a Chinaman <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Broken link

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Around 50 bombs explode across Bangladesh: police

DHAKA (AFP) - Around 50 bombs have exploded almost simultaneously in cities around Bangladesh, including around 15 in the capital Dhaka and 20 in the southern port of Chittagong.

Police in some of the cities said leaflets calling for implementation of Islamic law were found near the scene of the blasts, some written in Arabic and others in English.

"There are bomb blasts all over the country. We have reports of some injuries but no fatalities yet," said Abdul Kaiyum, Bangladesh's Inspector General of Police.

In addition to Dhaka and Chittagong, police reported nine explosions in southern Barisal and at least six in southwestern Khulna.

Mazeedul Haq, Chittagong's police commissioner, said a group calling itself Jamayetul Mujahideen had signed leaflets reading: "It is time to implement Islamic law in Bangladesh. There is no future with with man-made law."

A police official in Barisal said leaflets had been found there reading: "Bush and Blair be warned and get out of Muslim countries. Your days of ruling Muslim countries are over."

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/a...ts_050817070023<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Soon this disease will spread to West Bengal once Muslims become majority in West Bengal through infiltration and breeding, we should then lop off West Bengal and make sure all West Bengali Hindus get trapped in an Islamic Bengal for not doing anything to save themselves.

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Aug 17 2005, 05:52 AM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Aug 17 2005, 05:52 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Defeating a superior tank force - a Beedi asks a Chinaman <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Broken link<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I am sorry for that Mudy. I forgot one has to register to read.

I will only post a few samples of what a Beedi is asking Chinamen:

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->I expect Col. Yu would come forward and give me a analytical reply to understand the situation below. I am looking for constructive analysis ONLY.

Bangladesh has a small tank force with 250 tanks( 1 more regiment is on order). But India has almost 500-800 tanks in its Eastern Command. We are at a disadvantageous position here. The only good thing is most of the terrain of Bangladesh is unsuitable for a tank battle. The Northern region of the country is a heaven for tank battle though. We are trying to understand, under this circumstances, what are the options available for Bangladesh to defeat a superior tank force?

The point to be remembered here is that, Bangladesh is not going to purchase so many tanks in near future. Only one regiment, 48 tanks, has been ordered and the existing tank fleet is going through an upgradation process.

Waiting for constructive replies. Thank you.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->http://www.thedailystar.net/2004/04/16/d4041601055.htm
It  is a big boost for Bangladesh army--the youngest in the region. Even your Janes article mentions the fact that China is going to assist Bangladesh in inducting modern artilery and air defence missiles. These are no small things for a young army. You cannot have a strong army overnight. This is an incremental process.

I was looking for a strategy to counter a large army but we are discussing statistics. If statistics is the only indicator of military power then India would not modernize its army to counter China. In 80s China had the 2nd largest army(4 million) on Earth. What did India have? If India's 3000 tanks and equal number of artilery pieces are the deciding factors in Indo-Bangla conflict then why don't the Indians take into account China's 10,000 tanks and the equal, if not more, number of artilery pieces and stop modernizing their army because it's hopeless.

India has borders with other nations and a significant chunk of its military men and machines are scattered around the borders. They cannot concentrate their military in one particular point.......never. The same goes for China. Then there is a question of terrain. Bangladesh is a riverine country and hard for troops movement.

These are the points I wanted to bring into the discussion to make an analysis. With adequate anti tank missiles, RPGs, mine fields, and suport from artilery units, it is possible for Bangladesh to repulse a tank attack.

Of course, the Col. wanted to discuss the entire gamut of the war but I was looking for a particular area--tank battle.

I am still open for a discussion. I'll answer questions raised during the course of the discussion. Thank you.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Q. Nobody wants to attack BD

Ans. Says who?

Bangladesh constitutes a major weak point in India's security. Due to bangladesh's geographical location, India's N-E region is isolated from the mainland. In the event of a conflict between India and China, the geographical isolation of N-E will jeopardize India's war preparation due to difficulty in:

1. Troops mobilisation and
2. Logistics supply

India needs a secure and unhindered route through Bangladesh for uniterrupted military supply to the war zone.
The choice for Bangladesh

There are two choices for Bangladesh:

1. Allow transit to India for troops mobilisation and antagonize China

2. Reject transit demand and antagonize India

Due to defence supplies and economic help and other geopolitical considerations, Bangladesh can hardly afford to go against China. In such a case, a threat from India is very real.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

Every Islamic country is major concern for world peace. India is surrounded by these countries. BD problem can be delayed if India can dispatch its Commies to BD. We may see impotent society in BD very soon.
Current Indian Govt is not serious; current indecisiveness will create everlasting hell for future Indians.

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Indo-Bangla border districts on alert

August 17, 2005 16:59 IST

West Bengal government on Wednesday issued a fresh alert in border districts following a series of blasts in Bangladesh.

West Bengal's Inspector-General of Police (Law and Order) Raj Kanojia told PTI that an alert has been in force in the state since Independence day.

A fresh alert was issued following the blasts in Dhaka and other places.

Kanojia said that state police was in constant touch with the Border Security Force for intensifying patrols in areas along the Indo-Bangla border.

A series of near simultaneous explosions rocked various parts of Bangladesh, targeting government offices, courts and press clubs, that left about 100 people injured.

Besides capital Dhaka, at least 49 of Bangladesh's 64 districts were hit by the bombings, suspected to be the handiwork of banned Islamic outfit Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen.

http://us.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/17bang.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Sunder]

Looks like this is only a lab test for something more ominous and on a larger scale to be conducted in Dar-ul-Harb. Much like the hijack of IC-814. India's internal Intelligence should be doubly watchful.

[Guest]

http://thedailystar.net/2005/08/18/d5081801011p.htm

<img src='http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v130/indiaforum/bangla_explosions.jpg' border='0' alt='user posted image' />

[Guest]

Wow, amazing design, covering whole BD. Very well planned attack by very resourceful group.
Is it possible that this may be Maoist Attack?
Very much possible China is supplying ammunition. Current government is supporting Mullah, why Mullah will harm local citizen. Intention is to destabilize government. I don't think current Indian government is so smart to think about long term Indian’s interest, so I don't think they can do it.

[Guest]

<b>Former Bangladesh army officer forced to leave US</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->A former Bangladesh army officer, who admitted to having committed acts of torture in his home country, was forced by a court to leave the United States after a nine-year legal battle, US immigration authorities announced.

Los Angeles restaurant owner Sazzad Ahmed Bipu, 35, who began trying to obtain immigrant rights in the United States in 1996, <b>admitted that he had tortured voters in a Bangladesh village to support a certain electoral candidate</b>, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a statement on Wednesday.

In 1999, a judge ruled that Bipu had engaged in human rights abuse, making him ineligible for migration immigrate to the United States. The judge ordered him to leave the country<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Text of the leaflet found after serial bomb blasts

UNB, DHAKA

Bombers under the letterhead of outlawed Jamaa’tul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) spread leaflets during serial bombings across the country yesterday with an appeal for establishing Islamic rule in Bangladesh, failing which they will go for counteroffensive against the authorities.

"We’re the soldiers of Allah. We’ve taken up arms for the implementation of Allah’s law the way Prophet, Sahabis and heroic Mujahideen have done for centuries," the so-called Islamist outfit said in the leaflets circulated at the bombing sites.

It is one of the two extremist organisations recently banned by the government in the wake of violent acts allegedly committed by their activists, the other one being Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) of so-called Bangla Bhai, now hiding.

The JMB, under whose name the leaflets were circulated yesterday, used to be led by Rajshahi University Professor Dr Asadullah-al-Galib, now in jail.

One of the handbills procured from Rajshahi City reads: we want to earn Almighty’s satisfaction by establishing Khalis Tauhid (pure monotheism) by putting an end to bida’t and want to make the people happy in the world here and hereafter.

The leaflet says the JMB earlier had urged the government twice to establish Islamic Hukumat (Islamic order), but every time the government arrested their workers. However, Jamaa’tul Mujahideen did not resort to any retaliation.

"But this is the third appeal from JMB," the group said and cautioned that if the government did not establish Islamic laws in the country after this third warning and rather arrested any Muslims on charge of seeking Allah’s laws or resorted to repression on Alem-Ulema, the JMB would go for counteraction, "Inshallah".

JMB appealed to the members of parliament from both the treasury and the opposition benches to immediately introduce Islamic rule in the country burying all partisan disputes.

They called the present democratic system a creation of ‘kafer’ producing two groups--the government and the opposition—and this system gives right to enforce hartal and blockade to assume power causing damage to public interest.

Under this democratic dispensation it is constitutionally guaranteed to hold the public hostage and the entire country besieged for the offence of any individual or vested quarter.

"Those who want to give institutional shape to democracy are the enemies of Islam," says the suspected group of clerics in their edict, adding that if they want ‘hedayet (blessings) of Allah’, both the government and the opposition should unitedly introduce Islamic law immediately by burying party conflicts.

They called for shunning the evil Constitution and removing all shirks, bida’t and obscenity to implement Islamic rule in the country and allowing the people to perform Islam the correct way.

"But if you, being scared of Bush-Blair clique, don’t have the courage to establish Islamic rule, quit the evil politics of democracy," they said. And then "the Tauhidee janata will establish Islamic laws following the system of Sura (highest Islamic Consultative Committee) comprising Alem, Ulema, Masaek and Islamic scholars."

In an appeal to bureaucrats and judges, the JMB called for stopping administrative and judicial activities under what they called evil laws if the government did not establish Islamic rule. "Make your life worthy by gaining Allah’s blessings by extending your all-out cooperation in establishing Islamic laws."

The leaflet also carries a call for all members of the armed forces, including army, BDR, police and RAB, to protect the laws of Allah instead of "evil laws" now prevailing in the country. "Don’t abide by evil laws, obey the laws of Allah," it says.

"Don’t take arms under the evil laws against the soldiers of Allah. Give up your loyalty to evil power and join the force of Allah’s soldiers," the self-styled sentinels of religion said with a note of caution that steps would be taken against those who would not cease loyalty to "evil power" according to the sanction of Allah.

"Allah says those who are faithful fight for the cause of Allah. On the contrary, the kafers (infidels) fight for evil forces. Therefore, continue your fight against those who side with evil (you will find), conspiracy of evil is too weak (Sura Al Nisa-76)," the JMB said quoting verses from holy Quran.

In a separate appeal to world Muslims, they said the "biggest terrorist" of present world is George W Bush who launches attack on innocent Muslims by resorting to terrorism and tries to make the Muslim nonbelievers by forcibly imposing "Kufri (evil) Constitution".

"They want to bring the whole world under their control through a new world order by establishing Kufri concept of democracy. It seems to be a neo-Pheraoni ambition," the leaflet stated, "but soldiers of Allah will not allow their ambition to come true and establish ‘Kufri’ concept of democracy."

"Because, democracy is the product of evil power," it said, adding, "Democracy is the main weapon to establish evil forces in the world. This evil order allows the arrest of Mujahideen who are on Allah’s path."

They lamented that those who take arms for the cause of Allah are branded as militants and terrorists. But Almighty Allah says" Hey believers! Pick up your own arms and come out in battalions separately or unitedly (Sura Nisa-71).

"Therefore, it is our appeal to world Muslims, you compel your government in your respective Muslim country to implement Allah’s rules. Quit Kufri United Nations and form Muslim United Nations and strengthen the Muslim ummah."

Administering a note of caution for ‘Kafers and Mushriks’, the JMB urged the Bush-Blair duo to quit their occupation of Muslim countries. " Don’t try to be overlords in Muslim countries. The Muslims across the world are rising up. If you don’t stop repression forthwith, you will not be allowed to live in safety anywhere in the world."

The group asked anti-Islam NGOs to stop activities against Islam. "Otherwise, you will be uprooted."

The bottom line reads: ‘Wa Sallallahu Ta’la A’la Khairi Khalkihi Muhammadio Wa’la Alihi Wa Ashabihi azmaeen.’

http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/aug...082005cr.htm#A1<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->All were time bombs

BDNEWS, DHAKA

It is suspected that the bombs used in a series of attacks across the country Wednesday were time bombs.

RAB and Police sources said every single exploded bomb, covered with red tapes was run by two pencil batteries. Time circuit was connected with each bomb. A piece of each item of register, capacitor and LED was in the time circuit.

LED had connection with the circuit. The cable of one edge of LED was connected with the other edge of the switch. The bombs exploded within 20 to 30 seconds after pressing the switch.

It is learnt that this type of bombs can't be exploded using remote controls. RAB suspected one person each had a key role in every blast. Instead of splinters, husk of grains and sawdust were used in the bombs.

http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/aug...082005cr.htm#A1<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Bangladesh : Islamists Press their Agenda Displaying Strength through Bomb Blasts  

By Anand Kumar

http://www.saag.org/\papers16\paper1506.html<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->BLASTS IN BANGLADESH: ANOTHER WAKE-UP CALL

by B.Raman

http://www.saag.org//papers16/paper1505.html<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->8.Their internal objective is to covertly use the fundamentalist  and jihadi terrorist organisations for consolidating their power and undermining their political opponents. <b>Their external objective is to use these organisations against India</b>.The State-sponsored growth of these organisations has enabled them to take advantage of the silent complicity of the two Governments<b> to promote their own Islamic and pan-Islamic objectives</b>.

9.The Jamaatul Mujahideen's Islamic objective is the Talibanisation of the entire belt from Bangladesh to Southern Thailand via Myanmar and its pan-Islamic objective is to extend support to Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda in their <b>attempts to achieve an Islamic Caliphate</b>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Bharatvarsh]

Raids after Bangladesh explosions
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Security forces across Bangladesh have conducted extensive raids after Wednesday's bomb blasts which killed two people and injured more than 100.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4161786.stm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->120 bombs recovered in Munshiganj
http://www.newagebd.com/front.html#e3
BDNEWS, Munshiganj

At least 120 bombs and bomb-making materials were recovered from Munshiganj, the lone district which was left out from Wednesday’s serial bombings, on Thursday. The police retrieved those bombs and bomb-making materials from a house at Baligaon under Tongibari upazila in the district. The police arrested a woman Rashida, 40, in this connection. The officer-in-charge of Tongibari police station, Shah Alam, said 50 of the recovered bombs are of big size while the 70 others are small size, but the bombs are not similar to those time bombs exploded on Wednesday. He said the bombs were kept in a carton in a locked house.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
We should wait for next round.

[Bharatvarsh]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Tension on Indo-Bangla border as BSF, BDR exchange fire

Kolkata, Aug. 19 (PTI): In the worst confrontation on the Indo-Bangladesh frontier in recent months, border forces of the two countries today exchanged heavy fire thrice in Malda district of West Bengal, triggering tension.

Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) opened unprovoked fire towards India at Adampur and Muchia outposts early in the morning in an attempt to prevent embankment work by the Malda district authorities in Mahananda river, about 250 metres away from the International Border, in tune with the border agreement, police and BSF officials said.

BSF personnel retaliated to the BDR action.

Subsequently, the two forces exchanged fire twice till about 11 AM, they said, adding around 500 rounds were fired in the skirmishes. There was no report of any casualty.

People living in border villages have been evacuated to a safe distance, officials in Malda said.

BSF Deputy Inspector General Ramesh Singh, told PTI in New Delhi that although firing had stopped for some time, tension prevailed in the area.

He said senior BSF officials were trying to contact their BDR counterparts to sort out the dispute through talks.

Singh said BDR firing was unprovoked and unwarranted as the embankment work was being undertaken well inside the Indian territory to check large-scale erosion by the Mahananda river which serves as a demarcating line between the two countries.

"Moreover, the work, needed urgently, is a temporary measure to check erosion," the DIG said, adding the Bangladesh side had no reason to object to it.

The work was disrupted due to firing, he said.

Malda Superintendent of Police Dilip Mandal, said it was decided that the two sides would undertake the work simultaneously. But, the BSF was forced to begin the work today as the Muchia outpost, three km from Adampur, was threatened due to large-scale erosion.

When the BSF was about to begin the work, the BDR opened fire forcing the Indian security forces posted at the two outposts to retaliate.

North Bengal Inspector-General of Police K L Meena, said the work was undertaken away from the stipulated 150 yards from zero line on the Indian side. "Therefore, no objection can be raised by the BDR as far as international border rules are concerned," he said.

Singh said the dispute over embankment is some months old and it has already been referred to the Joint River Water Commission.

"A team has visited the area and said erosion on the Indian side was significant, requiring embankment," the BSF DIG said, adding the recent rains had worsened the situation after which remedial measures were undertaken on urgent basis.

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/000...191601.htm<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

Pioneer
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Bangla chickens home to roost </b>
KPS Gill
The history of Bangladesh is a cautionary tale for leaders in South Asia who cannot assess long-term costs to their nations in their haste to secure short-term partisan gains.

From the euphoria and hope that Liberation brought in 1971, this benighted country has plummeted into a darkness that can only be explained by the utter folly and blindness of its leadership.

34 years after its traumatic birth, Bangladesh is already a country without a future, captive to the very forces who inflicted one of the greatest genocides in the regions history on its hapless people.

<b>Today, the Islamists, led by the Jamaat-e-Islami, who collaborated with Pakistan in the atrocities of 1971, as well as Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence, are again firmly entrenched in the country's politics, its Government, and crucially in its institutions of education and mass culture.</b>

The coordinated series of 459 explosions within a single hour across 63 of Bangladesh's 64 districts on August 18, 2005, was little more than the visible tip of the menacing iceberg that threatens this luckless country. All societies that foster terrorism have eventually themselves fallen prey to this scourge.

Bangladesh cannot be an exception, though the country's political leadership has sought to cover up the realities of state complicity with flat denials of state support to extremism and terror, even as they have sought to mask the steady spiral towards thuggish Islamist extremism, lawlessness and disorder.

Indeed, the falsification has gone well beyond the state. <b>A wide range of international institutions and foreign Governments have contributed directly to the deception, speaking in glowing terms of Bangladesh's arguable 'successes' in development, in health sector reforms, in population control, and in non-governmental sector operations, all of which have been projected as examples for other developing countries to follow. </b>

The truth of the comprehensive political mischief and administrative mismanagement in Bangladesh has systematically been brushed under the carpet.

This truth is now becoming increasingly difficult to conceal, even in the most prejudiced circles, and despite the state's relentless policy of suppression of the national Press and of denial of access to the international media.

It is significant in this context that an independent study carried out by <b>Foreign Policy and the Fund for Peace, which drew up a listing of 60 of the world's failed and failing states on the basis of twelve specific "indicators of instability", placed Bangladesh at the 17th position, among the 20 'critical' states that are most at risk</b>.

There is, unfortunately, no evidence of any visible transformation in the trajectory of politics or of the orientation of the state in Bangladesh, despite the country's growing difficulties.

Indeed, the multiple blasts of August 18 demonstrate a continuation of the same perverse politics that has long undermined the country's stability and future.

The blasts have been blamed on the Jamaat ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), an armed faction closely linked to the Jamaat-e-Islami - a partner in the ruling coalition - and to the notorious Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) and its brutish 'commander' Siddiqul Islam alias Bangla Bhai (in fact, the 'link' with the JMJB is more than just that - the two organisations are virtually inseparable and Bangla Bhai also heads the military operations of the JMB).

Some 300 arrests have reportedly already occurred, mostly of lower level activists of the JMB, though the police are still on the lookout for the planners and leaders. If this suggests that the Government is finally beginning to take the threat of such extremist Islamist groups seriously, a closer scrutiny of reactions would tend to dilute such a conviction.

Already, several leaders of the ruling coalition - including some from Prime Minister Khaleda Zia's ostensibly secular Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), have sought to shift the blame to the Awami League.

Thus, despite police disclosures regarding arrests of JMB cadres and confirmation of their involvement in the bombings during interrogations, the Deputy Minister for Land, Ruhul Quddus Talukder, a BNP Member of Parliament, declared, "I don't think they (the JMB) have such a strong network. Awami League must have done this, using fake leaflets, to destroy Bangladesh's image internationally."

There is a half-truth hidden in this claim - the JMB does not, in fact, have "such a strong network" across the country, and its activities in the past have largely been restricted to North and West Bangladesh. There is, consequently, reason to believe that some other organisation or organisations have also been involved in orchestrating the nationwide blasts.

While it is premature, at this stage, to make a definitive assertion on the specific identities of such organisations - and, given Bangladesh's past record, the truth may never, in fact, see light - it is useful to look at the facts themselves.

The first of these is, as some Bangladeshi sources have pointed out, that most of the 33 Islamist extremist organisations and political parties in the country (53 according to some other estimates) do not recognise each other and do not have - individually or in concert - a countrywide operational network.

<b>A synchronised operation of this scale, thoroughness and dispersal would, consequently, require a single and centralized coordinating agency.</b>

It is useful, within this context - with a measure of caution given the polarised and partisan nature of the discourse in Bangladesh - to note the Awami League President and former Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina's assertion that the explosions were carried out under protection of the BNP-Jamaat-led alliance Government and direct supervision of the Jamaat-e-Islami.

Sheikh Hasina claimed further that the "Jamaat has been supervising activities of various terrorist groups in the country for a long time."

The Government's responses to JMB and JMJB terrorism in the past have, moreover, been extremely suspect. Despite mounting evidence of their activities, state agencies continuously denied the very existence of these entities until fairly recently.

Indeed, on January 26, 2005, State Minister for Home, Lutfozzaman Babar, in the wake of a spate of disclosures relating to JMJB extremist activities, had declared emphatically, "We don't know officially about the existence of the JMJB. Only some so-called newspapers are publishing reports on it."

Less than a month later, on February 23, 2005, under extraordinary pressure from Western donor countries who have been crucial in keeping the fragile Bangladeshi economy afloat, the Government announced a ban on both the JMB and JMJB, organisations of whose existence it was ostensibly unaware! However, the ban is widely acknowledged to have had little impact.

<b>Some arrests were, of course, made, but most of the arrested leaders and cadres were shortly released. Even in cases where cadres were arrested in connection with acts of terrorism, after 'encounters', or in connection with the manufacture and storage of explosives, Islamist militants from these groups have been routinely released.</b>

It appears that the ruling coalition continues to believe that it can 'manage' and orchestrate Islamist extremism and terror to serve its own partisan political and electoral objectives - and this, indeed, may well be the source and motive for the current spate of countrywide bombings. In this belief, Bangladeshi politicians are not alone. The leadership in Pakistan has long travelled this path, but is now discovering that the chickens, eventually, come home to roost.

At least some political parties in India have also flirted with extremist creeds and organisations for transient political gain - and despite the disastrous experience of other countries that have done so, the lessons have still not been learned.

It appears that every society has to go through its own learning process - a process, in the case of terrorism, that is the most destructive of the human soul, of the spirit of man, and of society.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<b>India rejects Bangladesh minister's charge on serial blasts</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Nizami at a press conference on Saturday<b> had accused Indian intelligence agency Research and Analyses Wing (RAW) of setting up Jamaatul Mujaheedin Bangladesh outfit to conduct terrorist activities in this country</b>.

Nizami, a top leader of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led four-party ruling coalition, also blamed main opposition Awami League for patronising Jamaatul Mujaheedin, which was banned along with Jagrata Muslim Janata outfit in February.

"RAW created Jamaatul Mujaheedin, which was primarily blamed for conducting the Aug 17 bomb blasts in Bangladesh," Nizami claimed.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
I wish this is true, no luck here. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Non-Muslims in Bangladesh under threat, says report </b>
Pioneer - IANS/ Dhaka
<b>Terrorist groups in Bangladesh are planning attacks against non-Muslim religious leaders and non-Islamic places of worship</b>, intelligence agencies have warned, reports Xinhua.

In a report to the home ministry, the agencies have disclosed that terrorist groups were planning attacks similar to the Aug 17 serial blasts that ripped through 63 of 64 districts, killing two people and injured around 150 others.

The agencies have urged the government to strengthen security measures across the country, the Bengali daily Ittefaq reported on Monday.

The daily quoted an unnamed source as saying that the groups planned to hit non-Muslim religious leaders to discredit the Bangladesh government internationally. According to the intelligence report, the <b>Dhakeswari Temple,</b> the main Hindu temple in Bangladesh, the church at Tejgaon and the Buddhist temple at Kamlapur were being targeted. 
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

Terrorists target non-Muslim leaders in Bangladesh

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-08/...ent_3388152.htm

DHAKA, Aug. 22 (Xinhuanet) -- Bigger attacks than the Aug. 17 string of countrywide blasts and <b>killing of non-Muslim leaders in Bangladesh have been planned by some terrorist groups</b>, intelligence services informed the government on Sunday.

The Bengali daily Ittefaq reported Monday that the intelligence agencies have suggested the government should strengthen further the security measures across the country.

The intelligent services have submitted a special report to the home ministry in which they disclosed the plan of the terrorist groups.

The countrywide bomb blasts on Aug. 17 ripped through the capital city and 63 of the 64 district headquarters, killing two persons and injured around 150 others.

The home ministry in faxed messages to all the district administrations asked the administrations to ensure security to life and property of people and to hold regular meetings with the people's representatives and security forces, the report said.

The daily quoting an unnamed source as saying that to build up a strong anti-government opinion at home and abroad, the groups have planned to hit non-Muslim religious leaders.

"<b>Three establishments of other faiths have been targeted</b>," the intelligence report pointed out, saying that they are <b>Dhakeswari Temple, the main temple of the Hindus in Bangladesh, the church atTejgaon and the Buddhist temple at Kamlapur</b>.

The daily said, to make the western countries angry toward Bangladeshi government, the group has planned to kill local and foreign priests, and other leaders who are preaching religions in the country. To this effect a militant group was active in Bangladesh's second largest city Chittagong, the intelligence report was quoted as saying by the daily.

After submission of the sensitive reports, the home ministry had a long meeting with intelligence people on Sunday, in which the ministry asked the police force to beef up security measures around these establishments and the priests and religious leaders,the report said, adding that this security measures will continue until further order.

After the series of bomb blasts on Aug. 17, over 100 suspected persons were arrested from different parts of Bangladesh.

According to local media, after primary inquiry by police, some suspected persons admitted that they are members of a banned Muslim group, the Jamaatul Mujahideen, headed by Abdur Rahman, andtheir organization blasted the bombs across Bangladesh.

Abdur Rahman reportedly went into hiding after Dr. Galib, a teacher of Rajshahi University and the second man of the group, was arrested in February this year.