Caught in the device of his own words

The record clearly shows that as far back as in April and May, 2004, the two months marked by mayhem and murder committed by militants under the leadership of Bangla Bhai in the areas of Rajshahi and Naogaon, Nizami went on a tirade against the media, saying that there was no one by the name of Bangla Bhai and that he was a creation of the media. This calumny was repeated by him many times.

Does the good minister want exact dates of these falsehoods? Very well. June 22, 2004: "Police have nothing to do when there is no existence of so-called Bangla Bhai." Or how about July 22, 2004: "Bangla Bhai was created by some newspapers." There is more, we could go on.

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Indeed, his current position that he only complained of the amount of space the media had given to Bangla Bhai does not portray him in any better light, even if one were to accept it at face value. For he basically adds to, and not subtract from, his original innuendo that Bangla Bhai was a creation of the media.

What the newspapers were faithfully doing was to expose the truths about armed terrorism being carried out by Bangla Bhai and his associates, thereby helping to create public opinion against militancy which has worked so well in the capture of the most wanted militant.

The Jamaat Ameer's words then and now lead us to two inescapable conclusions. The first is that his undisguised grudge against the media highlighting Bangla Bhai's reign of torture and brutalisation betrayed a certain concern on his part that he would have preferred the truth to remain hidden. The second, and corollary, deduction that the reason he was so upset by the truth being brought to light was because of the allegations of Jamaati connection to JMB.

The confessional statements and background of captured JMB cadres have pointed to a link with the Jamaat and this is what the government needs to get to the bottom of, together with finger-pointing at some ministers' role in the BNP-led cabinet.