Md Joynal Abedin Khan :
Around 500 high ranking militants, including the affiliate of Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), have allegedly disappeared after getting bails from the courts.
Members of law enforcing agencies are in dark about their whereabouts after bailed men due to lack of information and also for not getting cooperation from the prisons authorities that already have created mass panic.
After securing bails, some members of the banned militant outfits -mainly JMB, were arrested later from abroad mainly India, Malaysia and Singapore, according to the media reports.
Legal experts opined that the militants are coming out form the jail by getting bail because of weakness of surveillances.
Taking the chance of security loophole, top militant leaders are instructing their followers. As a result, with new sprit they are carrying out attack one after another in the city.
Law enforcers do not have any information about hideouts of over 500 bailed militants, said intelligence sources quoting a senior police officers.
More than 1,800 militants are now in jails across the country. Of them 21 militants with death sentence are now staying in jails for years without any execution because of delay in hearing on death reference, Dhaka Jailed sources claimed.
According to Police Headquarters, 920 cases were filed in connection with militancy . Among them, 619 cases are under trail, while the investigation is ongoing for 301cases. A total of 3,676 people have been arrested and police have submitted final reports dismissing 21 cases for various reasons. Meanwhile, over 500 suspected militants have been released on bail.
At the National Committee on Militancy Resistance and Prevention meeting, members from the security and intelligence agencies said 510 people accused in 331 militancy related cases have fled the country in last five years after getting bail. According to an estimate of Headquarters of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the elite force arrested 1,097 militants till the month of September in last year. Of them, on bail are 192 members of JMB and 72 of Huji, but the intelligence could not confirm the whereabouts of 91 militants.
A total of 2,856 operatives of different militant outfits have so far been arrested while the number of the fugitives is 660, detective sources said.
The members of law enforcing agencies continued their drives to arrest their estimated 5,000 members and followers of the militant organizations, said an previous notice of Police Headquarters (PHQs).
Law Minister Anisul Huq has urged the judges to become more cautious and rigid in granting bail to the accused detained in connection with militancy-related cases. “I appeal to the judges to become more rigid in granting bail to the accused in militancy-related cases considering responsibilities of the judiciary and the country’s law and order situation,” the minister said.
Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said, “Militancy is now under control. The government now pursues hard line against the militants. Special order has been issued to law enforcers to nab the fugitive militants.”
For an example, Humaira alias Nabila, one of the alleged planners of the August 15 attack in Dhaka’s Panthapath, is currently out on bail. Her bail has been granted by the Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge’s Court, and she was subsequently released from Kashimpur Women’s Jail.
In same way, Other leaders of the JMB-Faisal Ahmed, Md Tushar Habib alias Ayub, Abul Quashem Munshi alias Quashem, Jamal Uddin alias Russel Jihadi, Md Mamunur Rashid alias Shayekh Mamun, Md Kayum Hawlader Mithu alias Saiful, Md Selim Hawlader, Mawlana Omar Faroque, Akhtaruzzaman alias Maruf, Md Shariful Islam alias Shahin, and Md Mostafa alias Mosto alias Shameem, – also got bail from the High Court in last last two years.
Shafqat Munir, research fellow of Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS), also expressed his concern over the release of suspected militants on bail.
Inspector General of Police (IGP) has said that the strength of militants has come down because of anti-militancy drives.
The Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit Chief and Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Additional Commissioner, Monirul Islam, said the organizational structure of militant organizations had been weakened by anti-militancy drives in Bangladesh, so there is less cause to worry than before.
“The energy of New JMB is no longer the same. Most of their top leaders have been killed or arrested, and we take action when we come to know about militant activities,” he said.
