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DHAKA TRIBUNE
NARAYANGANJ KILLING
Another RAB member held, remanded He was involved in abducting, doping and confirming deaths of the victims
n Tribune Report Police arrested a fugitive RAB personnel, one of the members of the team that executed the whole plan of the sensational Narayanganj seven murders, on Tuesday. Lance Corporal Ruhul Amin of Rapid Action Battalion 11 was placed on a seven-day remand yesterday by a Narayanganj court following the arrest. Senior Judicial Magistrate AHM Shafiqul Islam passed the order after police produced Ruhul Amin before the court in a case filed by the murdered panel mayor Nazrul Islam’s wife Selina Islam Beauty. According to police sources, Ruhul Amin was involved in abducting the victims, administering injection to make them unconscious and then confirming their deaths by suffocating them with polythene. He was arrested from his house at Saneshwar village in Baufal upazila of Patuakhali by Baufal police. Later he was picked up by a team of Narayan-
ganj Detective Branch led by officer incharge Mamunur Rashid Mondol, also the investigation officer of two cases filed in connection with the murders. Mamunur Rashid said: “After getting information from different sources, we told Baufal police station that he might be hiding himself in his house. They kept an eye on his house for few days and was able to pick him up on Tuesday morning. He went missing since the murders.” With this, a total of 13 people, including 11 RAB members, had been arrested in connection with the gruesome seven murders. On April 27, Narayanganj panel mayor Nazrul Islam, his three associates and driver were abducted from Fatullah in Narayanganj city. At the same time, senior lawyer of the Narayanganj district judge court Chandan Kumar Sarker and his driver were also abducted. Three days later, six bodies were recovered from Shitalakkhya and Dhaleshwari rivers. The body of Nazrul’s driver was found on May 1. l
News
Thursday, October 9, 2014
Dhaka for regional bloc on blue economy n Sheikh Shahariar Zaman Bangladesh is set to float an idea of forming a regional bloc to develop partnership to use marine resources in a sustainable manner. “We are going to initiate a process to form Bay of Bengal Partnership for Blue Economy comprising regional coastal states,” Foreign Secretary M Shahidul Haque told the Dhaka Tribune. “The Bay of Bengal is full of resources and the government is going to prepare a national action plan to utilise it,” the foreign secretary said. “We organised an international workshop on the blue economy last month to gain knowledge from the experts.” Over 30 experts and government officials from 20 countries and organisations took part in the workshop. The outcome document of the workshop said: [The government would] initiate ‘Bay of Bengal Partnership for Blue
Economy’ to secure sustainable development among coastal/littoral states.” “The joint statement on Bangladesh-India Joint Consultative Commission held last month also mentioned it,” he said. In the JCC meeting, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj congratulated her Bangladeshi counterpart AH Mahmood Ali for successfully organising the International Conference on Blue Economy in Dhaka last month. “India sent a senior official to participate in the conference,” the official said, adding that the government would outreach other members to form the regional bloc. Meanwhile, the foreign secretary attended a high-profile event hosted by US Secretary of State John Kerry in New York last month. Officials and experts from over 16 countries, including New Zealand, Norway, Chile, Bloomberg Foundation and Rock-
Nasim slams DNCC officials n Tribune report
Health Minister Mohammed Nasim has come down heavily on high officials of the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) for providing lease of cattle markets around three hospitals in the Sher-E-Bangla Nagar in the capital. “The administrator of the DNCC had done criminal offense providing the approval of setting up cattle markets near hospitals,” he said. He urged the Ministry of Local Government and Cooperatives to take action against the administrator of the Dhaka North City Corporation.
He also termed the administrator as a criminal and nonsense person. A huge number of patients of three public hospitals located in the Sher-E-Bangla Nagar area have to suffer a lot because of the cattle markets before Eid, he said. He made this remarks while addressing a press briefing at the conference hall of Health Ministry yesterday. Expressing sorry to patients for their sufferings, he said: “I requested and even gave official letters to the concern officials not to give permission for setting up cattle markets near hospitals. “I do not know in which interest he (administrator) gave permission of cat-
decision, the suspension will be extended and he will have to go through a correction process. On the other hand, a challenge gone wrong will mean that the severity of the suspension will be increased. The 23-year-old spinner was reported after the second ODI between Bangladesh and the West Indies concluded at St George’s on August 22. Gazi, however, played the third and final ODI of the series. Gazi was pulled out from the Test
squad so that he could undergo test on his bowling action in Cardiff. Gazi was looking forward to making a return to the national side in the home series against Zimbabwe but his suspension means that he will be unavailable for selection. The national selection panel is likely to announce the Bangladesh squad for the Zimbabwe series on Sunday. The suspension came as a blow to Gazi who, like the national side, had an ordinary year so far. The Zimbabwe series was the last-chance salon for
Bangladesh to salvage some measures of respectability before the 2015 ICC World Cup. However, the suspension will now dent his preparations for the mega event scheduled to take place in February in Australia and New Zealand. After the Eid-ul-Azha vacation, the national cricketers will start taking preparations from October 14. The national side will play a three-day match against Bangladesh A from October 1618. During their 45-day stay in Bangladesh, Zimbabwe will play three Tests, five ODIs and a solitary Twenty20 in-
DB police aware of JMB regrouping in West Bengal PAGE 1 COLUMN 6
Shakil, Shovon and Hakim reportedly rented the house three months back and the two women used to stay with them, according to reports published in Indian media. Interrogating the women, the Indian National Intelligence Agency claimed that the deceased and the arrestees had been making bombs at the house to carry out destructive activities in Bangladesh. Indian newspaper Hindustan Times published reports saying that the suspected JMB men had sent to Bangladesh four consignments of bombs in the last three months through courier service. The carriers were Kawser and Rasiq, the detainees said during interrogation. The media also reported that India issued high alert across West Bengal and sealed off its borders with Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan following the explosion in which a terrorist hand was suspected. However, Brig Gen Aziz Ahmed, the chief of Border Guard Bangladesh, told
“We’d go out and demonstrate. The security services would chase us. We’d write on walls, have different outfits to change into,” she said. “Those days were great.” But it was when the Syrian uprising spiraled into chaos and violence that she said she began to lose her soul, her humanity. “Everything around us was chaos,” she said, her words tumbling out. “Free Syrian Army, the regime, barrel bombs, strikes, the wounded, clinics, blood you want to tear yourself away, to find something to run to. “My problem was I ran away to something uglier.”
Gradual induction
She found herself drawn to the eloquence of a Tunisian whom she met online. Taken with his manners, she grew to trust him over time and he gradually lured her into the Islamic State, she said. He assured her that the group was not what people thought, that it was not a terrorist organisation. “He would say, ‘We are going to properly implement Islam. Right now we are in a state of war, a phase where
Golam Faruque, the managing editor of Daily Banik Barta, died on Monday of cardiac arrest at the age of 48. Around 9pm, Faruque suddenly felt ill at his own house in Mymensingh. He was rushed to ICCU of Mymensingh Medical College Hospital after which at 9:45pm the doctors declared him dead. Faruque’s body was taken to National Press Club on Tuesday morning. The first namaz-e-janaza was held there at 11am. His friends and well-wishers from journalist and cultural communities attended the janaza. His body was later taken to Fulbaria University College premises in Mymensingh where his second namaz-ejanaza was held. Later, he was buried at his family grave yard in Kushmail village in Fulbaria. According to family sources, Golam Faruque was born on October 6 in 1966. His father is the ruling party parliament member of Mymensingh 6, Muslem Uddin and mother is Hasina Uddin. Faruq’s wife, Shaila Ahmed, is working at a private television channel and his only daughter, Oritri, is an A level student. Faruque was a feature editor at Daily Samakal, head of programme at ABC Radio 89.2 FM. He was also an editor of popular periodical Ananda Bhuban. l
ternational. The series will begin with the first Test at Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium on October 25. The ICC has been quite strict with the issue of illegal bowling action recently and has already banned Pakistan’s Saeed Ajmal and Sri Lanka’s Sachithra Senanayake after the duo were found guilty of breaking the 15-degree flex rule. West Indian spinner Sunil Narine was banned from bowling in the final of the recently concluded Champions League T20. l
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the BNP had patronised terrorism and continue to do so. “Everybody knows about Bangla bhai who was directly patronised by the administration during the BNP-Jamaat-led government in 2001-06.” Bangladesh has taken strong position on terrorism and it is not expected that its enemies would become inactive. “It is expected that they would resort to different strategies and new mode of operational procedure. The law enforcement agencies are taking
action against them and will take in the future,” he said. No dossier or document was handed over to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met him on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly last month. The minister termed the media reports “creative and speculative.” The Indian media made several reports that Hasina handed over a dossier expressing Bangladesh’s concern over the Saradha scam. l
15 bandits killed in gunfight
the Dhaka Tribune that they were unaware about the sealing off the border. “We also did not take any special security measures about it. We usually take measures after each and every such incident takes place.” Similar statement came from the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry too. In a press statement, the ministry said India issued no instruction to seal off its borders with Bangladesh in the wake of the October 2 grenade explosions. The Indian authorities concerned have clarified it in response to a verification made by the Bangladesh government following the recent media reports. The Bangladesh authorities also have not received any formal order on issuing high alert. Kamaluddin Ahmed, additional secretary (political) of the Home Ministry, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had not received any kind of formal order regarding the Bardhaman blasts. “We have learned that one of the deceased is Bangladeshi. But it is not proved yet,” he said.
Asked about any special measure, Kamal said the regular activities against militants had been under way. The BD claimed that they had information about militant activities in West Bengal and were keeping an eye on the developments. Monirul Islam, joint commissioner of DB police, told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday: “We have not received any official order about the incident. But since an incident developed in the neighbouring country, we are looking into it.” When contacted, Sanowar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of DB police and chief of the anti-militancy team, told the Dhaka Tribune that they had been following the Bardhaman incident sincerely. “When we notice any kind of information about anti-state activities, we take the issue seriously and start investigation. This is not a separate case for us.” The DB has information that two top JMB leaders who had been snatched from a prison van in Trishal of Mymensingh in February were now staying in West Bengal, he said.
The JMB has a strong hold in the West Bengal where the two fugitive militants – Salauddin alias Salehin alias Sajeeb and Zahidul Islam alias “Boma” Mizan – remain holed up. Another top DB official, requesting anonymity, told the Dhaka Tribune that the West Bengal chapter of the JMB had developed its base mainly in Murshidabad, Malda and Nadia districts during the stint of the BNP-Jamaat-led government. “JMB leader Sohel Mahfuz is leading the outfit in those districts. We first came to learn about it in 2010 after the arrest of JMB leader Saidur Rahman,” the official said. The issue was verified after the arrest of seven JMB members from Ashulia Landing Station last month, who are reportedly planning to launch attacks on the VVIP motorcades. During interrogation, acting JMB chief Abdullah Al Tasnim alias Nahid, 29, and six other members mention that they often got instructions from Salehin and Boma Mizan – now staying in West Bengal, said a DB high official. l
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nection with looting arms from Baniakhali police camp in Dumuria. When Karimul was arrested three months ago, Mofiz lobbied for his release. Akhirul was an associate of Chhatra League leader Mrinal Jotdar, and Hobi would work for Gopal Chandra Dey, a local Awami League leader. Principal of a local college, seeking anonymity, said locals always lived in fear of abduction and extortion by bandits. He said villagers were happy that the bandits died but they were not completely relieved as there were other robber gangs still operating in the area. Deputy Inspector General of police of Khulna range SM Moniruzzaman said abduction and extortion increased in the areas near the Sundarbans recently. “Two bandits were killed in a mob beating on Sunday and 11 more died during a gunfight in the Sundarbans. All of them operated locally,” the DIG added. Five cases were filed with Paikgachha police station in connection with the abduction of Proshanta, recovery of arms from different spots and deaths of robbers in gunfights. l
we need to control the country, so we have to be harsh.’” He told her he was coming to the Syrian city of Raqqa, that they could even get married. “I got in touch with my cousin, and she said, ‘You can come join us in the Khansa’a Brigade. She was living in Raqqa with her husband who was with the Islamic State,” Khadija said. The brigade is the feared, all-female police for ISIS. Khadija convinced her family to move to Raqqa, saying it would be easier to register her younger siblings in school, and that they would have the support of relatives. With her cousin to open the doors, Khadija was welcomed into the feared Khansa’a brigade.
Those who broke the laws are lashed. The lashings to the women who broke ISIS rules were carried out by Umm Hamza. When Khadija first saw Umm Hamza, she was terrified. “She’s not a normal female. She’s huge, she has an AK, a pistol, a whip, a dagger and she wears the niqab,” Khadija said. Brigade commander Umm Rayan sensed Khadija’s fear “and she got close to me and said a sentence I won’t forget. She said, ‘We are harsh with the infidels, but merciful among ourselves.’” Khadija was trained to clean, dismantle, and fire a weapon. She was paid $200 a month and received food rations. Her family sensed Khadija was slipping away, but were helpless to stop it. Her mother tried to warn her. “She would always say to me, ‘Wake up, take care of yourself. You are walking, but you don’t know where you are going.’”
she started questioning herself and the principles of the Islamic State. “At the start, I was happy with my job. I felt that I had authority in the streets. But then I started to get scared, scared of my situation. I even started to be afraid of myself.” She started thinking: “I am not like this. I have a degree in education. I shouldn’t be like this. What happened to me? What happened in my mind that brought me here?” And her image of ISIS began to crumble. Burned into her mind is an image she saw online of a 16-year-old boy who was crucified for rape. She questioned her inclusion in a group capable of such violence. “The worst thing I saw was a man getting his head hacked off in front of me,” she said.
finding wives for both local and foreign fighters. “The foreign fighters are very brutal with women, even the ones they marry,” she said. “There were cases where the wife had to be taken to the emergency ward because of the violence, the sexual violence.” Khadija saw a future she did not want. With her commander pressuring her to submit to marriage, Khadija decided she needed to leave the brigade. “So it was at this point, I said enough. After all that I had already seen and all the times I stayed silent, telling myself, ‘We’re at war, then it will all be rectified.’ “But after this, I decided no, I have to leave.” Khadija left just days before the coalition airstrikes, but her family remains in Syria. She was smuggled across the border to Turkey.
Regretful of her immersion in radical Islam, she is wary of another sudden change. “It has to be gradual, so that I don’t become someone else. I am afraid of becoming someone else. Someone who swings, as a reaction in the other direction, after I was so entrenched in religion, that I reject religion completely,” she said. Towards the end of our interview, speaking about how ISIS could have gotten a foothold in parts of Syrian society, she has a personal moment. “How did we allow them to come in? How did we allow them to rule us? There is a weakness in us.” Khadija spoke to us because she said she wants people, especially women, to know the truth about ISIS. “I don’t want anyone else to be duped by them. Too many girls think they are the right Islam,” she said. She desperately wants to be the girl she was before falling under the spell of ISIS -- “a girl who is merry, who loves life and laughter... who loves to travel, to draw, to walk in the street with her headphones listening to music without caring what anyone thinks,” she said. “I want to be like that again.” l
Confessions of a female former ISIS member PAGE 1 COLUMN 6
tle markets.” Asked about which action the ruling party Awami League will take against a Juba League leader, who had taken lease of a cattle market at Sher-E-Bangla Nagar, he said party would take decision in this regard. There will be no cattle market in front of hospital next year, he said. He also sought intervention of prime minister in this regard. Health Secretary MM Niazuddin, State Health Minister Zahid Malek and Director General Of Health Services Professor Dr Deen Mohammed Nurul Haque were present at the press conference. l
Journalist Golam Faruque dies n Tribune Report
Bardhaman blast probe
Sohag suspended from international cricket PAGE 1 COLUMN 1
feller Foundation took part in the event. However, Maritime Affairs Unit Secretary M Khurshed Alam is attending the Indian Ocean Rim Association ministerial meeting to gain knowledge about the blue economy. Alam is leading a delegation at the IORA ministerial meeting to be held in Australia from October 8-9. Bangladesh won more than 118,813 sq km of waters altogether comprising territorial sea and an exclusive economic zone extending out to 200 nautical miles (370km). It also has undeniable sovereign rights in the seabed extending as far as 354 nautical miles [around 656km] from Chittagong coast in the Bay of Bengal with all living and non-living resources. Some 30 million people of Bangladesh have had direct livelihood dependence on oceanic economic activities like fisheries and commercial transportation. l
Inside the female ISIS brigade
The Khansa’a Brigade is made up of around 25 to 30 women and is tasked with patrolling the streets of Raqqa to ensure that women adhere to proper clothing as outlined by the Islamic State. Beaded or slightly form-fitting abayas are banned. Women are not allowed to show their eyes.
Second thoughts
Initially, Khadija did not pay attention to her mother’s warnings, seduced by the sense of power. But eventually,
Violence against women
Even more personally, she witnessed ISIS’ brand of violence reserved for women. The brigade shared its building with a man who specialized in marriage for ISIS fighters. “He was one of the worst people,” she said of the man tasked with
area of Dakop upazila to raid the den of Kashem Bahini. Sensing the presence of police, members of the gang opened fire, triggering a gunfight with law enforcers. The gunfight left the 11 robbers dead and six policemen, including Officerin-Charge of Paikgachha police station Shikdar Akkas Ali, injured. The 13 were Sbaur Morol, 40, Md Hanif Gazi, 34, Alim Molla, 25, Akhirul Sheikh, 36, Afzal Sheikh, 25 Shafiqul Sheikh, 21, Nasrul Sheikh, 36, Mahabub Molla, 23, Mohsin Molla, 30, Rubel Sheikh, 22, Junaed Khan, 35, Karimul Sheikh, 40 and Habibur Rahman Hobi, 40. Sources said Karimul Sheikh, Akhirul Sheikh and Habibur Rahman Hobi would work under the protection of powerful politicians, and were sued in several cases lodged with Dumuria police station. Karimul was a close associate of local BNP leader Siraj Molla. When Siraj was killed, he became the right-hand man of Siraj’s younger brother Mofiz Molla, who established dominion after his brother’s death. Karimul was the prime accused in the case filed in con-
Life after ISIS
Khadija still wears the niqab, not just to conceal her identity but also because she’s struggling to adapt back to life outside the Islamic State.