Dhaka, Dec 28 (IANS) Six convicted militants who escaped from prison during the July-August 2024 upheaval remain at large while 18 firearms looted from damaged prisons have not been found yet. At the same time, nearly 200 inmates held on charges related to militancy have been released on bail during the past eight months, with no latest information about their whereabouts, a report said, citing official sources.
A report in Times of Bangladesh stated, “These developments have raised renewed concerns among security analysts, despite repeated assurances from senior government officials and law enforcement agencies that militancy has no presence in Bangladesh. Home Affairs Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has stated on multiple occasions that there is no scope for militancy in the country.”
“Similarly, Additional Inspector General Md Rezaul Karim, who took charge of the Anti-Terrorism Unit (ATU) in late September, said there was no militant activity in Bangladesh. Over the past one and a half years, no major anti-militancy operations have been publicly reported by the ATU or by the Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP),” it added.
An explosion at the Ummul Qura International Madrasa in Hasnabad on the outskirts of Dhaka on Friday pointed out to militant threats. After the explosion, the madrasa’s director, Sheikh Al Amin, 32, went into hiding. According to police, Amin faces several cases over alleged connection to the banned militant outfit New Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (New JMB). Previously, he has been arrested several times and had served prison sentences, as per the report.
Speaking to Times of Bangladesh, President of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), ANM Muniruzzaman, said that the militancy problem in Bangladesh had not been resolved and the challenge had become more complex.
He said many militants who escaped from the prison have not been arrested again and a number of looted weapons had not been found. Muniruzzaman, a retired major general, said that law and order in Bangladesh had further worsened since August 5, 2024 and emphasised the need to address gaps in security management.
A report in Times of Bangladesh stated, “According to data from the courts and the Prison Directorate, 346 inmates were released on bail in a short period following 5 August 2024. This group includes 12 top-listed criminals, eight convicts in the high-profile ten-truck arms haul case, and members of at least ten different organisations. In the first eight months following the political transition, 148 members of the banned Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) were released on bail in cases filed over alleged militant involvement.”
“Police say those released include individuals previously listed as members of outlawed extremist groups such as Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Ansarullah Bangla Team, Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya, Ansar Al Islam, Imam Mahmud’s Kafela, Hizb ut-Tahrir, Hamza Brigade, the Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF), and Allah’r Dal. One notable case involves Jasim Uddin Rahmani, who was convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in the murder of blogger Rajib Haider and was accused of leading Ansarullah Bangla Team. He was released on bail after 5 August and later claimed that Ansarullah Bangla Team had never existed,” it added.
According to Assistant Inspector General (Development) of Prisons Md Jannatul Farhad, 17 of Bangladesh’s 68 prisons were damaged during the July–August 2024 mass protests. As many as 2,232 inmates escaped from five prisons during the unrest, including 88 prisoners sentenced to death, according to a report in Times of Bangladesh.
Among those who continue to remain unaccounted for are over 700 inmates, including six convicted militants sentenced to death or long prison terms. A total of 85 firearms were looted during the prison attacks while the largest escape took place at Narsingdi prison, where 826 inmates fled.
–IANS
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