Author: Chandan Nandy
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: June 10, 2002
A fast growing fundamentalist outfit
in Bangladesh is giving sleepless nights to Indian intelligence agencies
over its connections with the Al-Qaeda and certain Pak-based terrorist
organisations.
The Harkat-ul-Jehadi-al-Islami (HUJAI),
founded in 1998 by a group of Bangladeshi mujahideen who fought the Soviets
in Afghanistan, wants to transform Bangladesh into an Islamic theocracy.
Indian security agencies have come to view it as the "striking arm" of
the Jamaat-e-Islami, a key constituent of Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led
alliance.
These revelations form part of a
classified report prepared by Indian security agencies which fear the HUJAI
could venture to "build bases in Assam, West Bengal, Manipur, Tripura,
the Arakan Hills of Myanmar besides the Chittagong Hill tracts of Bangladesh".
The outfit's headquarters are located at Khilgaon in the Taltala area of
Dhaka.
What has shocked India is the HUJAI's
advisory council comprises senior leaders of practically all fundamentalist
Islamic parties. Headed by Maulana Mohiuddin Khan, the 16-member council,
among others, includes JeI MP Maulana Delawar Hossain Saidi, Islamic Shasantantra
Andolan leader Maulana Saikul Hadis Allama and Islamic Oikya Jote chairman
and Bangaldesh Khelafat Majlis Ameer Azizul Huq. Incidentally, the IOJ
is also a partner in the BNP-led four-party ruling coalition.
The HUJAI has a 15,000-20,000-strong
cadre base. Over the past three years, the HUJAI is suspected to have been
involved in several bomb blasts and even an on former PM Sheikh Hasina.
The outfit also "controls" another
splinter group called the Islami Solidairy-Bangladesh (ISB). Some of its
leaders are suspected to have strong ties with the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen
and the Jaish-e-Mohammad, besides close links with residual elements of
the Al Qaeda.
