Govt wary of jailed militants
Govt wary of jailed militants
Cases against them to be disposed of quickly
The government has decided to dispose of all the cases filed against militants as soon as possible, State Minister for Home Asaduzzaman Khan said yesterday.
The decision was made as the militants are spreading propaganda from behind bars, he told journalists after the fourth meeting of the National Committee on Militancy Resistance and Prevention at the home ministry.
During interrogation by detectives, some recently arrested Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operatives, including its acting chief Abdullah Al-Tasnim Nahid, admitted that top JMB leaders had meetings between themselves in prisons and courts to plan a revival of the outfit.
Meanwhile, security was beefed up at the Chittagong Court Building premises yesterday after an anonymous caller threatened a suicide bomb attack by the JMB in the area.
Presently, 54 militants are on death row in the country, while around 300 others are behind bars, according to police statistics. On financing of militants, the state minister said Bangladesh Bank will provide the national committee with information on any abnormal banking transaction by any individual or organisation.
The intelligence agencies will work based on the information received from the central bank to check financing of militants, he added.
Senior Home Secretary Muzammel Haque Khan, representatives from Bangladesh Bank, Islamic Foundation, and chiefs of law enforcement agencies attended the meeting.
BOMB HOAX
Our correspondent in Chittagong reports: An anonymous caller phoned Manash Kumar Das, executive member of Chittagong District Bar Association, around 9:15am yesterday.
Speaking local dialect, the caller threatened a suicide bomb attack by the JMB at the court building area today (Tuesday), Manash told this newspaper.
“After receiving the threat, we reported the matter to law enforcers for necessary action,” said Abdur Rashid, general secretary of the bar association.
Mohiuddin Selim, officer-in-charge of Kotwali Police Station, said they already initiated an investigation to identify the caller.
Six platoons of police have been deployed in the area to avoid any trouble, added the OC.
Police filed a general diary with Kotwali Police Station in this regard.