13 killed in terrorists strike in Bangladesh

Bangladesh, a predominantly Muslim country but with liberal tradition is fast emerging as a terrorist haven in Asia. It came into existence in 1971 following bifurcation of Pakistan. Otherwise it used to be known as East Pakistan. India had helped the freedom fighters in East Pakistan. At least 13 people, including two policemen and two lawyers, were killed and 50 others injured on Tuesday (Nov. 29) in twin suicide bomb attacks in Bangladesh by suspected Islamic terrorists belonging to the banned Jamatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The bombs went off between 9 am and 9:30 am in Gazipur and Chittagong distrcts. No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks so far. A man strapped with bombs around his body entered the lawyer’s room of Gazipur court and set off the devices. In the other incident in Chittagong port city, a suicide attacker set off the device as police checked those arriving at the local court. Angry Bangladeshi lawyers in different districts across the country started a boycott of courts to protest the bomb attacks. Lawyers also staged protest marches in court complexes. The JMB, which seeks to establish strict Islamic rule in the Muslim-majority country, also carried out previous attacks on courts. The outfit first carried out attacks on August 17 in court and government office premises in 63 of Bangladesh’s 64 districts, while a second attack was staged in October. Two weeks ago, two assistant judges were killed in the southern town of Jhalakathi by a suspected suicide attacker also allegedly linked to the banned group. Letters said to be sent by the JMB have continued to threaten judges and government officials across Bangladesh, including Supreme Court judges. Only a day ago, The New Nation, a Bangladeshi newspaper reported that in Dhaka,the capital of Bangladesh, the JMB threatened to kill Supreme Court judges and lawyers for what it alleged delivering judgement after taking bribes. Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President advocate Mahbubey Alam received a letter, sent by one Maulana Ali Azam joint secretary of JMB, Dhaka, in which it was said that most of the judges of the Appellate Division and the High Court Division have no right to remain alive since they take bribe and uphold the lower courts’ judgments. ‘At present only inexperienced and corrupt men are being appointed judges. Those who have no certificates are being made judges in exchange of bribes, and under political considerations. Do you think that they can be protected by gunmen?’ the letter sent to the SCBA questioned. SCBA president said that the fundamentalist terrorists were trying to destroy the judiciary of the country. ‘They have been launching bomb attacks on the judges and courts to destroy the century-year-old institution of judiciary to establish their own judicial system. The letter will be submitted to the police, who will find out the sender of the letter is,’ he said. The typewritten letter, which was sent by mail, bore the address of the sender as 19/3, Dhanmondi R/A, Dhaka. The letter read, ‘You know, six judges of the Supreme Court and 75 per cent judges of the High Court take bribe. That is why such judges will have to be sent to the Jahannam (hell). You cannot protect them.’ Embassies of the USA and the European Union, including the UK in Dhaka also received e-mail threat on Saturday (Nov. 26) that members of the Al-Qaida would blow those up. An e-mail was sent by one Manik Hossain to the UK Embassy from Faridganj, in Chandpur. The sender identified himself as a member of the Asia Al- Qaida suicide squad. The First Secretary of the UK embassy W M Stevlanson filed a general diary with the Gulshan Police Station in this connection. An activist of the ruling party BNP, pro-fundamentalist, was killed and five other people were injured in a bomb attack at Alamdanga subdistrict in Chuadanga on Saturday. Several including two serious were injured in the dastardly action. Following the attack, the mob caught a bomber red-handed while fleeing. The angry people also beat him up and handed him over to the police in an unconscious state. The culprit was identified as a member of JMB. JMB activists in a letter also threatened three district journalists of Banaripara subdistrict under Barisal district with death. The Daily Samakal Banaripara correspondent Al Mamun Laskar, special correspondent of local the Daily Ajker Barta Mizanul Islam and the Daily Ajker Paribartan correspondent SM Mainul Islam Sabuj received those death threats in separate letters.