Extremists regrouping?
The security forces deserve credit for the recent capture of a JMB training camp in the CHT and soon after that the arrest of a Laskar-e-Taiba (LeT) leader from Dhaka. These arrests, we are sure, have preempted the terror acts that these people have been planning to carry out inside and outside of Bangladesh, as revealed from the statement of the captured persons. The captured JMB terrorist was reportedly linked with the plan to bomb Khaleda Zia's election meeting in Comilla in 2008.
The recent discovery of the camp in Naikhongchari confirms the point that we have been trying to make all along since the capture of the top JMB leadership in March 2006. And that is, it would be self-defeating to be contented with what the security agencies had achieved overlooking the fact that the phenomenon is multi-headed and would grow to strike again if we did not take out the fundamental motivation behind their existence. It is not surprising that they would seek secure sanctuary in secluded areas to set up their bases and carry out training and recruitment activity, in order to implement their plans.
Our concern is aggravated by the very recent arrest of the Indian national linked to the Laskar-e-Taiba and other frontline extremist groups in India and Pakistan. This follows the arrests in Bangladesh several months ago of two Indians belonging to the LeT who were on the wanted list in India for planning and conducting terror attacks there. The arrest has also revealed the existence of a regional network, a possibility that we had been alluding to in the past which has been confirmed by the statement of the recently arrested LeT leader. These people reportedly have links with Huji (B) and were operating a terror network in the region.
Now that the external links of HUJI (B) / JMB has been confirmed it must set the security and intelligence agencies on double drive to uncover the sleeper cells whose existence in Bangladesh cannot be ruled out.
If anything the recent revelation of the action plan of HUJI requires a well-coordinated counter terror plan that should also involve the regional countries in terms of data exchange and real time intelligence. When the terrorists and extremists are so well-knit in their effort to cause us destruction and harm what prevents the regional countries to come together to preempt them? And the sooner we do it the better.
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