It's all because of war trial, says intel

A certain group has been planning subversive and terror activities to “free war criminals now under trial”, said a recent intelligence report.

It is also out to “tarnish the image of the nation by creating anarchy and degrading law and order in the country”. 

The report, prepared by the Special Branch (SB) of police, said the group might hijack a plane on international or domestic routes, abduct or kill any VIP and commit atrocities by exploding bombs.

Alerting the government to the plans, the intelligence agency recommended that security measures at key establishments be stepped up.

The SB submitted the report to the home ministry on October 29, four days before the scheduled date of hearing on review petitions filed by two convicted war criminals -- Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mojaheed of Jamaat-e-Islami and Salauddin Quader Chowdhury of BNP -- against the Supreme Court verdicts upholding their death penalty.

The apex court is now scheduled to hear the petitions on November 17.

The SB report came amid serious security concerns following a sudden spat of terrorist acts -- including killings of secularist bloggers, two foreigners, a publisher and two cops, and attacks on a pastor and a Shia gathering.

However, according to some security analysts, thwarting the war crimes trial might not be the only reason behind those attacks. Any militant organisation can carry out those types of attacks taking advantage of a volatile situation, they said.

Some apprehensions made in the SB report matched the deposition of Masud Rana, an activist of Jamaat's student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir, detained over the fatal stabbing of ASI Ibrahim Mollah at a Gabtoli checkpoint on October 21.

Several criminal acts, including the murder of publisher Faisal Arefin Dipan and police constable Mukul, took place after the submission of the report. Also, a prosecutor, several prosecution witnesses and campaigners of war crimes trial have received death threats.

Top police officials and people involved in the war crimes trial said the two convicted war criminals, who have strong followings in and outside the country, would somehow try to destabilise law and order to stop the possible executions.

The recent attacks were part of the last ditch efforts by the two to save themselves, they added.

Contacted, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said they have “evidence of involvement of the BNP and Jamaat in all the recent killings and criminal activities”.

"They are carrying out the crimes to jeopardise the ongoing war crimes trial and destabilise the country," he told this newspaper yesterday.

He added, "Jamaat, Huji [Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami] and JMB [Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh] are the same thing. They are doing these [criminal activities] to create unrest in the country."

'ISI CONNECTION'

Tureen Afroz, a leading prosecutor in war crimes trial, said the recent attacks are “linked with the trial and execution of war criminals”.

"There is no other equation," she told The Daily Star.

Explaining, she said whenever the execution of any war criminal nears, Jamaat-e-Islami and its associate bodies carry out subversive activities or at least try to do so.

“As the execution of the two is imminent, this time the impact is double. Threats on us have also increased," said the prosecutor.

The Jamaat and its wings opposed the liberation of Bangladesh in 1971 and collaborated with the Pakistan occupation forces. Its campaigns against war crimes trials have been widely reported.

Tureen said Mojaheed is a powerful leader of Jamaat as he holds the rank of party's secretary general. And, Salauddin Quader is not only an influential leader of BNP, his "connection with ISI [Pakistani intelligence agency] is known to all."

She believes that these two serve interests of different organisations at home and abroad. In return, these organisations will definitely try to save their “close friends”.

She observed that such criminal activities may continue to take place until the execution of Salauddin and Mojaheed.

Shahriar Kabir, prominent war crimes researcher and first prosecution witness in the case against Mojaheed, said all the killings -- be it of police or bloggers -- are not isolated. "These are well-orchestrated and masterminded by ISI and executed by its local agents -- Jamaat as well as BNP."

Kabir is the executive president of Ekattorer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee, which has been campaigning for the war crimes trial for over two decades.

He added, “Salauddin Quader Chowdhury is the key agent of ISI in Bangladesh while ISI is the main patron of Jamaat.

"Therefore, ISI cannot accept the executions of its top agents as it thinks the executions would mean a major political defeat for it in Bangladesh ... That is why it is trying to thwart the war crimes trial through these [criminal] activities."

MASUD'S STATEMENT

Shibir activist Masud admitted to police that his companion Enamul Haque alias Kamal, ex-president of Adamdighi upazila (Bogra) Shibir, stabbed the ASI dead while the cop was checking Enamul's bag that contained two firearms.

According to a video record of Masud's statement, he along with Kamal came to Dhaka from Bogra as part of a mission to carry out bomb attacks and assassinate six VIPs -- three civil society members vocal for execution of war criminals and three ministers.

A reporter of The Daily Star has watched the clip.

Masud said they brought a consignment of 10 improvised grenades, five of which police recovered from his rented house in Kamrangirchar following his information.

Police said the grenades charged at the Hossaini Dalan Shia gathering in the early hours of October 25 are similar to those recovered from Kamrangirchar.

Masud added he and Kamal were sent to Dhaka by some Jamaat-BNP leaders of Adamdighi upazila.

Masud had come to the city 21 days before he was caught for the first time. He used to recce the places of targets, posing as an egg seller.

From his possession, police seized a map that clearly directs the roads to different key point installations and areas where VIPs live.

"Based on his [Masud's] information, we raided several dens of the groups, but they had fled immediately after the arrest of Masud," said a senior police officer who led the raids.

"At some places we even found rice, cooked a day earlier but untouched," he said, wishing anonymity.

In his statement, Masud also said six other groups came to the capital on similar missions.

SB RECOMMENDATIONS

The agency report recommended ensuring strong security at all important installations like airports; public gatherings; bus, rail and river terminals; power stations; gas distribution centres; industries and factories; entertainment places; and offices and residences of foreigners.

It suggested setting up security wall and installing adequate lights at airports, seaports and all the KPIs. It also urged the government to ensure full-time watch at these installations by setting up control rooms or watch tower.

"Considering the matter with utmost urgency, adequate monitoring will have to be in place immediately," said the report, requesting all members of police and other law enforcement agencies to remain on high alert.