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Is Bangladesh the next al-Qaeda hotbed?
2004-02-25
Indian security agencies are concerned that Bangladesh is fast becoming a hotbed of international terrorism. Intelligence sources say that after 9/11, the country has become a recruiting and training ground for global terrorists with the Bangladesh army directly involved in these operations:
  • Nearly 100 persons have been trained to infiltrate the Indian borders by the Bangladeshi army centre at the Saidpur Army Regimental Centre, sources say.

  • According to security agencies, the Border Security Force has furnished the Bangladesh Rifles with a list of nearly 150 terrorist training camps in that country.

  • Apart from this, the Indian government has prepared a list of 13 terrorist camps and training centres that it believes are directly under the control of the al-Qaeda terrorist network. In addition to that, there are 11 madrassas, which also double up as training centres, sources in security agencies said.
The al-Qaeda has apparently shifted base to Bangladesh after facing the heat in Afghanistan and the Middle East. It has three camps in Cox’s Bazar, four each in Bandarban and Chittagong and one each in Rangamati and Brahmanbaria. Its oldest partner in the country is the Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami (HUJI), a terrorist organisation that started operating with financial help from Osama bin Laden. The US state department describes HUJI as a terrorist organisation with ties to Pakistani militants. Founded in 1992, today, it has a cadre-base of 15,000 men, led by Shaukat Osman alias Sheikh Farid. In addition, there are seven madrassas which act as Harkat-ul-Jehad Islami (HUJI) centers. Three madrassas near Sylhet, and one at Rangamati also work as recruiting centres.
  • HUJI has links with the Roshingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO). This came to light, when a tape leaked to a US channel showed RSO militants being trained near Cox’s Bazar.

  • Al-Qaeda also reportedly operates a ‘sleeper cell’ in Rajshahi, which was unearthed three years ago. Bin Laden had reportedly sent his private secretary to attend a HUJI meeting in Rajshahi.

  • According to highly placed sources, after Bhutan conducted a massive operation, many United Liberation Front of Assam leaders fled to Bangladesh and tried to liaison with the Bangladesh Islamic Manch.
Posted by:Dan Darling

#7  The jihadis will probably drink untreated water from the wells and get arsenic poisoning, because Infidels brought the Unislamic arsenic removal process to the country. Ain't in the Quoran, so it doesn't exist.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-2-25 3:03:28 PM  

#6  Bangladesh actually has more going for it than Pakistan. Although still poorer, is shows more economic vitality. More important, its birthrate, unlike that of Pakistan, has declined significantly in recent years -- largely because its women are not as repressed. Of course, the Islamists see this and want to put a quick stop to it all. And they may well do so.
Posted by: closet neo-con   2004-2-25 12:03:23 PM  

#5  Assuming the reports are correct, it looks like Bangladesh is becoming Pakistan East;

Bangladesh was at one time "East Pakistan", strangely enough.
Posted by: Bomb-a-rama   2004-2-25 10:48:10 AM  

#4  Do they have earthquakes there?

Yes they do! Basically the whole country is sinking in a geological sense faster than anywhere else in the world. If rising sea levels are for real then the whole place is going to turn into a shallow bay, but then if rising sea levels are not for real then the whole place is going to turn into a shallow bay anyway it will just take more time.

God how I love win-win scenarios.
Posted by: phil_b   2004-2-25 9:02:24 AM  

#3  Probably. Until the next flood. Or famine. Or typhoon. Or epidemic.
Do they have earthquakes there?
Posted by: tu3031   2004-2-25 8:38:58 AM  

#2  Well, shoot, Al-Qaeda has to go somewhere next...it might as well be a dirt-poor country like Bangladesh rather than somewhere like Egypt or Turkey or France.
Posted by: gromky   2004-2-25 5:45:43 AM  

#1  I posted another article about the situation in Bangladesha while ago
Assuming the reports are correct, it looks like Bangladesh is becoming Pakistan East; with the same nexus between Islamist Generals, radical Mullahs, powerful intelligence services ISI/DGFI, and Jihadis more or less operating openly.
Although the vast majority of the 'terrorist' training camps are mostly just villagers used by various Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Commie rebel/bandit groups operating across the border in North East India.
But when you look at the country, it certainly offers a lot of potential for Al Qaeda, just like Indonesia.
Posted by: Paul Moloney   2004-2-25 4:49:27 AM  

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