JMB masterminds
Go to the sources of finance and shelter
We recall with abhorrence the countrywide bomb attack two years ago on 17 August carried out by some operatives of the now banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The simultaneous detonation of small explosives in 63 districts of the country announced the ominous presence of yet another formidable force in our midst that did not believe in the laws of the country or the established social system.
The force, well-organised and funded as it was, meant to upset the democratic values and principles that our nation state was based on, in order to implement its own political agenda. It preached through leaflets and posters its intentions of overthrowing the government to establish their own reign in the country. But, knowing it fully well that they had no base yet among the people, the central leaders took recourse to violent means to fulfil their agenda.
We further recall the senseless killing of many innocent people including some judges in a court and some members of law enforcing agencies in a subsequent series of bomb attacks. Threats from JMB leaders kept mounting and at one point of time they appeared indomitable as the government in power at that time refused to even accept the media reports as authentic. The government of the day also brushed aside reports from various intelligence agencies on the secretive activities of JMB and allowed the group to gain strength in their lairs. The government kept denying the allegations against some of its lawmakers of providing the militants with support in their respective constituencies.
Finally, it was immense pressure from the saner section in society and international community that forced the BNP-led government to arrest the central leaders and put them in the dock for trial. The trial proved beyond doubt their involvement in the bomb attacks carried out in order to kill innocent people. It was on March 29 that the six central leaders of JMB were hanged. We are also happy to note that the present government has given orders to take legal action against the former lawmakers for providing the militants shelter and other support while in power.
What remains to be said is that the JMB has not been totally destroyed as was expected after the death of the central leaders. The outfit continues to surface at various areas of the country and militants get caught at regular interval. Intelligence reports clearly indicate that new masterminds have replaced the dead ones and funds keep coming from mysterious sources.
Therefore, we urge the government to go all out to trace the masterminds of JMB and similar outfits in the country and their sources of funds to ensure that they will not remain as the biggest obstacles to strengthening of the democratic institutions.
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