[Bangla Daily Star] Jamaat-e-Islami...
The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka
The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an
independentbranch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores...
and its student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir
... the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh...
yesterday unleashed terror on police in the capital and elsewhere to mount pressure on the government to stop the war crimes trials.
Once again, their hit-and-run assaults caught the law enforcers off guard in Dhaka, Chittagong, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Joypurhat and Satkhira.
The Jamaat-Shibir mayhem left at least 70 people, including 50 cops, injured. A policeman and an auto-rickshaw driver in Chittagong suffered bullet wounds as Shibir activists opened fire.
They smashed around 200 vehicles across the country.
Neither Jamaat nor its student wing had called a programme for yesterday.
But around 10:00am yesterday, the Jamaat-Shibir men brought out myrmidon processions simultaneously in Dhaka, Chittagong and Rajshahi cities, welding firearms, sharp weapons, iron rods, hockey sticks and brick chips.
The activists from one such procession in the capital's Motijheel area started exploding bombs and beating up cops, sending a wave of panic among passengers, pedestrians and employees of roadside offices and business houses.
They gradually spread to Dainik Banglar Mor, stadium market, Paltan, Bangladesh Secretariat, Jagannath University, Dhaka University and Dhanmondi areas and rampaged for over an hour.
Traffic in Motijheel, Paltan and Gulistan and Jatiya Press Club areas remained suspended for over an hour.
Four vehicles were torched and many others vandalised.
Some cops were seen running for safety while some tried to fight back. Those who took shelter in nearby offices were hunted down by armed cadres and beaten up.
Surprisingly, law enforcers did not use newly introduced pepper sprays on the attackers.
Anwar Hossain, deputy commissioner (Motijheel) of police, said they fired more than 250 rubber bullets and 100 teargas canisters. Police also tossed in the clink
I ain't sayin' nuttin' widdout me mout'piece!
48 activists with bottles of petrol.
Police also fired over a hundred rounds from Chinese rifles and shotguns.
Following the attacks, Finance Minister AMA Muhith said the violence had proved intelligence failure.
He added, "I thought the militancy has been wiped out, but today's incident shows that I was wrong."
He made the comments after visiting Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital where Constable Delwar Hossain, a member of the unit that escorts the minister, was admitted. The policeman was severely injured in an attack near Bangladesh Secretariat.
Talking to journalists at the secretariat, Home Minister MK Alamgir did not with Muhith. "I do not find any failure of police or intelligence."
Surprisingly, Inspector General of Police Hassan Mahmood Khandker claimed they already had information on the Jamaat-Shibir plan for yesterday. "As police played due roles, Jamaat and Shibir could not carry out criminals activities completely as per their plan."