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Militants recruit sacked BDR men


Published : 19 Aug 2019 09:43 PM | Updated : 07 Sep 2020 11:22 AM

When most of the law enforcing agencies have been using their efforts against only the banned terror outfits, some new militant organizations are trying to be organized in the country. They are not only recruiting new members for their organization, but are also collecting funds for terrorism, said officials of several law enforcing agencies who are directly involved in counter terrorism activities for a long time.

A senior official of the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC), a special unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police, on condition of anonymity admitted that they usually emphasize on monitoring the activities of four major militant organizations---- Ansarul Islam ( Ansarullah Bangla Team), Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Neo-Jamaat-ul Mujahideen (Neo JMB), Harakat ul Jihad e Islami Bangladesh (HIJI-B) and Hizb ut-Tahrir (HT).

Using this as a chance to dodge the law enforcers, some old militants are allegedly trying to re-group their militant networks across the country to establish radical rule. However, due to the strict monitoring and surveillances of the law enforcing agencies, till today, the country did not witness any major terror attacks after the deadly terror attack at the Holey Artisan café on July 1 in 2016.

According to the sources, followers of detained top militant leader Matin Mehedi are trying to re-organize in a bid to topple the existing democratic frameworks through armed conflicts and sabotage. Matin, who founded terrorist organization Allah’s Dal, was arrested in 2007. But his close associate Ibrahim Ahmed Hero, who is the acting chief of the militant organization, was trying to strengthen the capabilities of the outfit.

Members of the Allah’s Dal are collecting Zakat from their members and supporters to use the funds for the organizational activities of the terror outfit.
Even they are misinterpreting the Holy Quran and Hadiths for collecting terror funds. Islam allows to collect Zakat from the solvent Muslims only during the Holy Month of Ramadan. But the terrorists of Allah’s Dal are collecting so-called Zakat on a monthly basis terming the present situation in the country ‘a war like situation’.

Allah’s Dal uses its funds including Yanat and Zakat only for militancy. They are running some business enterprises to enhance their financial capabilities. All money including profits from these businesses are deposited in fictitious bank accounts, especially in female members’ accounts. The anti-crime elite force Rapid Action Battalion(RAB) is investigating these issues.

They do not participate in Juma prayers, even they do not take part in Eid congregation saying that ‘war like situation’ is prevailing in the country. Members of Allah’s Dal even believe that detained Allah’s Dal boss may turn into the special envoy of Allah for this time. They use radical songs to inspire its members, said RAB officials.

RAB officials said Allah’s Dal has plans to snatch its detained founder Matin Mehedi in a filmy styled attack from jail. They have chalked out several plans in this regard. They also conducted several recce for making the plan a success. On August 18, RAB arrested four members of Allah's Dal including its in-charge ameer from city’s Hatirjheel area.

They were identified as Ibrahim Ahmed Hero, 46, Md Shafiqul Islam Suruj, 38, both from Pabna district, Abdul Aziz, 50, from Gaibandha district, and Md Rashidul Islam, 28, from Kurigram district. Among the arrestees, Ibrahim confessed he played the role of in-charge ameer, said RAB-3 Commander Lt Col Imranul Hasanat on Monday.

The militant group Allah's Dal has connections with the banned militant outfit JMB, the commander added. RAB also seized mobile phones, pen drives and hard drives from their procession. Quoting Ibrahim, RAB -3 boss RAB-3 Commander Lt Col Imranul Hasanat said Allah’s Dal started its activities from Pabna district. But now they are conducting their activities from different other parts of the country.

Ibrahim was radicalized in 1997 through militant recruiter Mahmood alias Vagina Mahmood. As the current in-charge of the terrorist organization, he supervises all activities of the organisation including financial management, recruitment etc. He takes all the policy making decisions. During the primary interrogation of the arrested members of the militant outfit, RAB came to know that they were trying to recruit retired and terminated persons of different forces to give arms training to their new recruits. They have taken a plan to recruit members of then BDR who were terminated in connection with their involvement in Pilkhana Tragedy. Allah’s Dal changed its name into Allah’s Sarkar in 2014 for strategic reasons.