No let-up in Janajuddho attacks in Jhenidah

In their latest attack on Thursday at Pagla Kanai Square in the district town, Jhenidah Sadar Thana BNP vice-president and Ganna Union Parishad (UP) chairman Sharafat Hossain was critically injured as the backside of his head was blown up. He was shifted to Dhaka for better treatment following deterioration of his condition at Jhenidah Sadar Hospital.

After three hours of the incident, one Dipok Roy, introducing himself as the Janajuddho regional commander made calls to journalists over cell phone and claimed responsibility for the attack.

According to police, intelligence agencies and newspaper sources, at least 31 incidents of bomb attack took place in the district in last two and a half years from February 2004 till date. At least six people including an ASI (Assistant Sub-Inspector) of police were killed and 36 others injured.

A Janajuddho source claimed that bomb attacks on public representatives and political leaders were made at the instruction of its top ranking leader Abdur Rashid Malitha alias 'Dada Tapan.'

Of the bomb attacks in the last two and a half years, eight incidents occurred in 2006, 12 in 2005 and the rest 11 in 2004.

Janajuddho claimed responsibility for at least 20 attacks.

Police official, political leaders, public representatives, police informers and rival outlawed party cadres fell victims to the attacks.

In 2004, six people were killed in bomb attacks. Among them, ASI Zahidul Islam of Harinakundu Police Station was killed on July 8, Fazlur Rahaman, a businessman of Harinakundu upazila headquarters was killed on September 25, Jhantu, an alleged outlaw at Gopalpur Bazaar in Sadar upazila was killed on October 15, Abu Bakar, a police informer of Atlia village was killed at the same bazaar on October 25, Abdul Aziz was killed near Talshar police camp in Koatchandpur upazila on November 29 and a member of Madhuhati UP also the vice-president of ruling party's local unit Md. Shafiuddin was killed at Charcol Bazaar in Sadar upazila on December 10. Some 15 people were injured in the blasts during the period.

In 2005, 13 people were injured in bomb attacks in different parts of the district. However, no incident of murder was reported last year.

Eight people were injured in the attacks from March to August this year. They are Sadar upazila BNP vice-president Sharafat Hossain, Shailakupa upazila BNP publicity secretary Idris Ali and a rickshaw-puller.

According police and intelligence sources, Janajuddho opertavies are sheltered by both the ruling and opposition parties here.

'Not only Janajuddho, most of the outlawed outfits are sheltered by the two major political parties to use their cadres in the next parliamentary election', a high ranking police official in Jhenidah, preferring anonymity, told this correspondent.

At least 25 special drives including 'Operation Clean Heart' and 'Operation Spider Web' were launched in the southwestern districts including Jhenidah. But most of the drives turned futile due to leakage of information ahead of the drives, law enforcers said.