With several days of peaceful situation following declaring curfew in Dhaka city and rest of the country, Bangladesh once again is witnessing extreme notoriety that includes arson attacks, vandalism and murder perpetrated by the nexus of Islamists, jihadists and terrorists, who have infiltrated into student protests.

According to a social media post by ‘Anti-discrimination student movement’, they have called for “non-stop non-cooperation movement” from Sunday, August 4, 2024. While they also have openly declared to capture Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s official residence – Gono Bhaban, some posts are indicating their ulterior motive of assassinating the PM.

In a statement, Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Secretary General of Al Qaeda-connected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) has called on the Awami League government to “apologize and resign immediately”. Sitting in London, BNP’s acting chairman and convicted terrorist Tarique Rahman has reportedly asked affluent members of the party to provide required funds for intensifying the anti-government movement and maintain regular communication with the conveners of the ongoing student protests.

The US authorities had imposed visa restrictions on Tarique Rahman in 2008, while on November 3, 2008, the US ambassador to Bangladesh, James F. Moriarty in a confidential cable (Canonical ID 08DHAKA1143_a) to the Secretary of State, seeking suspending entry of Tarique Rahman to the United State, Ambassador James F. Moriarty wrote:

“Tarique Rahman, the notorious and widely feared son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, was released on bail from prison on September 3. He departed Bangladesh to seek medical treatment in the UK on September 11. Having served as the Senior Joint Secretary General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, Tarique is an extremely high profile political figure. Notorious for flagrantly and frequently demanding bribes in connection with government procurement actions and appointments to political office, Tarique is a symbol of kleptocratic government and violent politics in Bangladesh. His release occurred despite multiple pending cases against him on charges of, inter alia, corruption, extortion, bribery, embezzlement and tax evasion. With deep political ties that reach the highest court in the land, Tarique managed to manipulate the judicial process and overcome a concerted effort by the Caretaker Government to block his bail. We believe Tarique has several passports, including a new one in which the UK issued him a visa in September. Another passport contains a five year multiple-entry B1/B2 visa (issued May 11, 2005). We suspect that passport is being held by the government”.

Accusing Tarique Rahman of accumulating hundreds of millions of dollars, Ambassador James F. Moriarty wrote:

“Tarique reportedly has accumulated hundreds of millions of dollars in illicit wealth. There are multiple extortion cases pending against him, founded on the testimony of numerous prominent business owners who he victimized and exploited”.

The former US ambassador further wrote: “Tarique’s flagrant corruption has also seriously threatened specific US Mission goals. Embassy Dhaka has three key priorities for Bangladesh: democratization Bangladesh: democratization, development, and denial of space to terrorists. Tarique’s audaciously corrupt activities jeopardize all three. His history of embezzlement, extortion, and interference in the judicial process undermines the rule of law and threatens to upend the US goal of a stable, democratic Bangladesh. The climate of corrupt business practices and bribe solicitation that Tarique fostered derailed US efforts to promote economic development by discouraging much needed foreign investment and complicating the international operations of US companies. Finally, his flagrant disregard for the rule of law has provided potent ground for terrorists to gain a foothold in Bangladesh while also exacerbating poverty and weakening democratic institutions. In short, much of what is wrong in Bangladesh can be blamed on Tarique and his cronies”.

Meanwhile, pro-Caliphate and notoriously anti-Muslim organization, Hefazat-e-Islami (HeI) in a video statement has expressed solidarity with the student protests stating it will come on streets demanding resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. It may be mentioned here that, in 2021, HeI declared jihad against the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Bangladesh’s golden jubilee celebration of its independence, resulting in death of several people.

According to Bangladesh Police sources, HeI kingpin Mamunul Haque was connected to a terrorist group by Pakistani spy agency Inter Service Intelligence (ISI) with the assignment of forming a militancy group with madrassa students in Bangladesh, with the agenda of unseating Awami League government and turn the country into a Caliphate. It was also alleged, Pakistan High Commission in Dhaka had secretly funded Hefazat-e-Islam’s anti-Modi protests in Bangladesh.

Following his arrest, HeI kingpin Mamunul Haque told interrogators, his Pakistan connection was established by his own brother-in-law (sister’s husband) Moulana Mufti Muhammed Neyamotullah, who lived in Pakistan for more than a decade. During his stay in Pakistan, Neyamotullah succeeded in drawing the attention of the leaders of Lashkar-e-Toiba and few more Pakistani militancy outfits. On his return to Bangladesh, Moulana Mufti Muhammed Neyamotullah joined a madrassa named Jamiya Rahmania. Neyamotullah was having intimacy with Moulana Tazuddin, a prime accused in August-21 grenade attacks on Awami League’s rally. As Neyamotullah was also arrested for his involvement in August 21 grenade attacks, his father-in-law Allama Azizul Huq managed to get him released by using his connections with Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP). Azizul Huq’s party, Khelafat Majlish is a political ally of BNP.

Back in 2005, Mamunul Haque visited Pakistan along with his brother-in-law Neyamotullah. He was first encouraged by the Pakistani spy agency to extend support towards anti-Ahmadiyya groups in Bangladesh, while he also was asked to increase influence within the Tablighi Jamaat. Mamunul was also assigned to play a role in forming a political force with madrassa students and teachers. Pakistani ISI had provided cash for Mamunul’s initial activities, while it had also promised funding his future activities in Bangladesh.

According to information, Mamunul Haque’s wife’s brother-in-law, Kamrul Islam Ansari is a prominent leader of Jamaat-e-Islami. Kamrul hails from Tekerhat area in Faridpur district. By using his Jamaat connection, Mamunul Haque succeeded in increasing his influence within the Islamist forces in Bangladesh. He also has used the students of Qawmi madrassas in favor of Jamaat-e-Islami’s agendas.

Anti-state terrorist activities were well-anticipated when on August 1, 2024, Bangladesh government, through gazette notification banned ultra-Islamist and Pakistan-linked Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) and it’s student wing Chharta Shibir as terrorist organizations under section 18/1 of Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009. The English meaning of Jamaat-e-Islami is congregation of Islam and Chhatra Shibir stands for student camp.

According to report published in Russia’s leading daily newspaper the Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Jamaat-e-Islami is designated as a terrorist organization and banned in Russia.

This information about the banning of Jamaat-e-Islami by Bangladesh authorities was confirmed in a notification issued by the Public Security Division of the Ministry of Home Affairs on August 1, 2024.

The ban of Jamaat, Chhatra Shibir and other associated organizations came through an executive order under Section 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

Jamaat-e-Islami was founded by Muslim Brotherhood prodigy Sayyid Abul A’la Maududi with the notorious agenda of Islamic conquest and “bringing the world under the flag of Islam”. A few years ago, the International Crimes Tribunals in Bangladesh described JeI’s role during the war of independence in 1971 as an active cohort of Pakistani occupation forces. JeI played a vital role in forming the Pakistani army’s auxiliary forces, such as the Razakar, Al-Badr, Al-Shams, and the Peace Committee, which actively participated in atrocities against Bengali freedom fighters, especially Hindus. Hundreds of thousands of Hindu men, women, and children were massacred by JeI and its forces, while a large number of Hindu girls and women were raped.

It may be mentioned here that Jamaat-e-Islami is also banned in India and since 2003, it has been designated as a terrorist entity by the Russian Federation.

Declaring ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, Amit Shah, Union Home Minister of India in a tweet stated, “Pursuing PM Narendra Modi ji’s policy of zero tolerance against terrorism and separatism the government has extended the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu Kashmir for five years. The organization is found continuing its activities against the security, integrity and sovereignty of the nation. The outfit was first declared an “Unlawful Association” on 28 February 2019. Anyone threatening the security of the nation will face ruthless measures”.

The Pakistani branch of Jamaat-e-Islami has remained the most prominent, due to its involvement in electoral politics. In the 1950s, Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan launched a militant student wing – Islami Janiat-e-Talaba, which successfully gained control of many urban colleges and universities, often through violent tactics. The student wing, which maintained control in many areas until 1988, marked Jamaat’s first use of violence.

Jamaat-e-Islami maintains deeper links with various militancy outfits, including Gaza-based Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PJI). It also maintains deeper ties with Muslim Brotherhood. This dangerous Islamist terrorist entity has had a presence in Europe since the 1960s, while it has a prominent presence in the United States.

In Afghanistan, Jamaat-e-Islami’s branch – Jamiat-e-Islami was founded in 1972 by Burhanuddin Rabbani. It followed the ideology of Abul A’la Maududi. Hezbi Islami broke away from Jamiat-e-Islami in 1975-1976 – led by Gulbuddih Hekmatyar, its ethnic make-up was overwhelmingly Ghizal Pashtun. Its less moderate stance won it the backing of Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan and Pakistan’s military dictator General Zia-ul Haq.

In the United Kingdom, US Islamic Mission, being inspired by the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan and “Islamic revivalist teachings of Abul A’la Maudidi” – was founded by members of the East London Mosque in 1962. This radical Islamic terrorist entity has been silently spreading a network through England – mostly through South Asian immigrants. According to The Columbia World Dictionary of Islamism, Jamaat-e-Islami branches in England have followed Pakistani immigration to South Africa and Mauritius as well as the United Kingdom.

The United States has been a strong defender of Jamaat-e-Islami, repeatedly calling upon Bangladesh authorities to lift the ban on JeI and allow it to participate in the electoral process of the country. Washington also vehemently opposed Bangladesh’s war of independence while then Soviet Union and India directly supported the Bengali freedom fighters and extended all-out support in the country’s war of independence.

From July 17, Jamaat-e-Islami, along with Al Qaeda-connected Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) perpetrated countrywide mayhem by hijacking student’s protests demanding reform in quota system in government jobs. Since then, Jamaat-BNP nexus along with other militancy and terrorist groups have damaged public property worth hundreds of millions of dollars, while such acts resulted in Internet outage for more than a week that cost over US$7 billion economic loss to Bangladesh.

With the fresh violence that erupted on August 2 following banning of Jamaat-e-Islami and its student front, anti-India forces, including BNP and JeI have started sinister propaganda on social media stating, Indian troops have arrived in Bangladesh to kill locals. Such propaganda is being echoed by a number of propagandists of BNP and Jamaat, such as controversial British national David Bergman, former US diplomat Jon Danilowicz and others. These individuals have been actively involved in spreading disinformation targeting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina as well as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Bergman also works for Qatari terror-broadcast network Al Jazeera. It may be stated here that, although Jon Danilowicz works as paid agent for Al Qaeda-connected BNP, he has not registered under Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), thus violating US federal law.

As Bangladesh Nationalist Party is termed by US courts as a Tier-III terrorist organization and as it reportedly maintains connection with Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), it is feared, this party with active collaboration of Jamaat-e-Islami and other Islamist-jihadist forces may deploy its own gang of suicide attackers may engage into much dangerous terrorist acts in the country. Most importantly, although international media are still considering ongoing terrorist acts in Bangladesh as “angry reaction of the students”, in reality students are being used as pawns by the perpetrators of heinous crime, while the Islamist-jihadist nexus also is using children into terrorist activities, targeting members of law enforcement agencies and innocent civilians.

In my opinion, for the sake of national security and saving lives of innocent people and members of law enforcement agencies as well as save public-private properties from destruction, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina now needs to take stern measures by declaring State of Emergency, while she also needs to discipline several members of her cabinet for their reckless statements and actions. Following declaration of State of Emergency, there should be a drastic drive against BNP-Jamaat terrorists as well as disinformation peddlers.

Taking lessons from the current challenges, Sheikh Hasina also needs to focus on effectively fighting disinformation in the international media. Failure of her government in checking disinformation and propaganda campaigns is one of the key reasons behind the international community’s misperception and misunderstanding about Bangladesh. The Awami League government needs to remember, taking their failures in checking disinformation and propaganda campaigns, that the real face of BNP, Jamaat and other Islamist-jihadist elements have been gradually blurred.

Please follow Blitz on Google News Channel