No sign of let-up in killings, extortion by Janajuddha

There is no sign of let-up in killings and toll collection by Janajuddho faction of Purbo Banglar Communist Party (PBCP) in Jhenidah despite launching of several anti-crime drives and death of at least 26 cadres including its chief Abdur Rashid Malitha alias Dada Tapon in 'crossfire' incidents.
After choosing their new leader Janajuddho cadres have returned to their violent activities including killing of their rivals and toll collection from innocent people.
Sources in intelligence agencies and locals said, Janajuddho men had to stop their 'misdeeds' after their leader Dada Tapon was killed on June 18, 2008.
The cadres, however, within a short time chose Kuddus Ali, 38, of Aswastholi village under Jhenidah Sadar upazila as their new leader and started afresh their so-called 'organisational activities' including murder and toll collection in the area.
Police records and sources in intelligence agencies said, before becoming Janajuddha chief, Kuddus was linked with several underground outfits. He is also accused in several murder cases lodged with different police stations in Jhenidah. In their latest attack in the early hours of Thursday Janajuddho cadres hurled two bombs on the house of Tofazzal Miah of Mirzapur village killing Abdul Gani, a Biplobi Comunist Party (BCP) cadre on the spot while he was sleeping on the veranda, police said.
On April 13, miscreants threw three bombs on the 'Barosha filling station in Jhenidah town at around 8-30 pm injuring a Class-Nine girl student identified as Shirin.
In a revenge attack last month, a former cadre of BCP (Biplobi Communist Party), identified as Enamul Huq, 32, was slaughtered on March 9 at village Kuti-Durgapur in Koatchandpur upazila of the district.
Earlier, on March 6, one Golam Kibria was bombed to death at around 7-00 pm at a tea stall at Aswastholi village in Jhenidah Sadar upazila.
Apart from killing their rivals, the Janajuddho outlaws under their new leadership have also started toll collection from locals of Kaluhati, Kuti-Durgapur, Chandipur Bazar and Sholmari Bazar areas under Jhenidah Sadar, sources in police and locals alleged.
Younus Ali, a clerk at Batai Secondary School in Sadar upazila, talking to this correspondent said a few weeks ago a man introducing himself over cell phone as follower of Kuddus Ali, demanded illegal toll.
When I contacted Kuddus over phone, he (Kuddus) also told me to meet the demand, Yunus said.
The same day Kuddus and his accomplices went to Anwar Hossain, a contractor constructing Kuti-Durgapur Government Primary School and demanded Tk 50,000 from him.
As both of them refused to pay toll, the Janajuddho cadres hurled bombs on the house of Younus and the under-construction building of the school.
During the attack, they took away four cell phone sets from the people of the contractor and threatened Anwar of dire consequences.
Another contractor, Runu Mian, talking to The Daily Star also alleged that the accomplices of Kuddus stopped his construction work at the same village as he refused to pay Tk 50 thousand toll.
Contacted, Superintendent of Police (SP) in Jhenidah Jahangir Hossain Matabbar said, he heard about the misdeeds of Janajuddho cadres led by Kuddus but nobody lodged any specific allegation yet with police in this regard.
The SP, however, said all-out measures have already been taken to curb the criminal activities by outlaws in the district.
Abdus Sobhan, a senior teacher at Kuti-Durgapur Siddiqia Madrasa said, "After the death of Dada Tapon, peace-loving locals heaved a sigh of relief but now again they are under serious threat as Janajuddho cadres have returned with fresh vigour with the new leadership of Kuddus."
Dada Tapon died in 'crossfire' between members of Rab and his accomplices on June 18 last year.
Several special drives including 'Operation Clean Heart' and 'Operation Spider Web' were launched in the south-western districts including Jhenidah. But most of the drives turned futile due to leakage of information ahead of the drives, some law enforcers on condition of anonymity said.