Aug 17 Series Bomb Blasts: JMB weak but still a threat

Militant outfit JMB that struck terror across the country in 2005 has almost no strength to carry out any organised attack, but it is still a threat, counterterrorism officials believe. 

Its chief is still out of the dragnet while some of the outfit members who walked out of jail after serving their sentences in cases filed over a series bomb blast have gone into hiding and they are trying to recruit new members, they said.

The law enforcers said since many of the cases were filed under the Explosive Substances Act and the highest punishment is 10 years' imprisonment, many of the convicts already completed their jail terms.

Police failed to give the exact number of the JMB extremists who walked out of jail.

On this day in 2005, banned terror outfit Jama'atual Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) almost simultaneously detonated 459 bombs in 63 out of 64 districts across the country.

After the synchronised attacks, 160 cases were lodged across the country. Police have completed probes into the cases.

They submitted the final reports in 17 cases and charge sheets in 143 others. In the charge sheets, 1,157 JMB leaders and activists were named as accused, the law enforcers said.

Of the accused, around 1,000 militants were arrested. There is no updated data about how many of them are now behind bars.

"Though most of the JMB members lead a normal life after walking out of jail, some 20 to 30 old JMB operatives have gone into hiding and are trying to recruit members," said an official of Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime (CTTC) unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police.

Wishing anonymity, the officer said their activities are mainly based in some northern districts.

The JMB activities are also noticed in the capital's outskirts of Savar and Ashulia where they work targeting the garment workers, he added.

Besides, present Ameer (chief) of the terrorist group Salahuddin alias Salehin who is now hiding in India is a "headache" for the law enforcers.

Salehin, along with two other top JMB leaders, was snatched from a prison van in Mymensingh's Trishal in March 2015.

"Most of those who have come out of jail after serving their jail terms are under our surveillance," CTTC chief Monirul Islam has said recently.

"We have no room for complacency as it may help flourish terrorism in our society," Monirul said, adding, "So, we have to remain alert so that extremists cannot gain strength again and carry out attacks."

Lt Col Ashik Billah, director of legal and media wing of Rab, said now any militant outfit has no organisational capacity to launch any attack similar to that of 2005 bomb blast.

"Militant activities are now going on in a scattered way," he told The Daily Star.

He said the law enforcement agencies are now more capable of containing any militant attack than any time before.

"Our intelligence team, cyber team, and field staffers are very active. We do not apprehend any sort of militant attack. Even then Rab is ready to thwart any move of launching any attack like that of 2005," said Ashik.