Editorial
JMB regrouping
Track down the funding sources
THE recent arrests of a dozen of JMB militants and discovery of arms and explosives from their hideouts are to be taken as signs of something ominous lurking in the shadows. In fact, seizure of sophisticated explosives, grenade making materials, CDs, jihadi books along with the information that they have been living in rented houses indicate that the militants have a regular funding source to sustain their operations across the country. A front-page report in this daily on Monday suggests that some of their sympathisers living in the Middle East are allegedly sending money through various illegal channels to JMB operatives. Some local NGOs have also come under suspicion for providing financial help to them.
Such reports only reinforce the conviction that the spectre of JMB continues to haunt the nation. Far from having been completely neutralised since their top leaders were hanged during the tenure of the caretaker government, the outlawed outfit has been regrouping under the leadership of some diehard militants who once acted as second-in-command of the deceased leaders. Their intent is as clear as daylight so that there can be no lowering of guard to maintain political and social order.
In order to attain success in their hunt, the law enforcing agencies will have to extend their intelligence network both inside the country and beyond the borders to unearth the funding sources. It is only stating the obvious that once money flow dries up, militants will lose steam and disperse out of frustration. Since large volume of money is being transacted, it should not be too difficult to identify the people involved in the illegal process. The senders, once apprehended with the help of the Interpol and other overseas agencies, should be put on trial under the money laundering act to which Bangladesh is a signatory.
Drastic measures would go a long way to deter other sympathisers waiting in the wings to help JMB. We urge the government to live up to its promise of uprooting terrorism in all its forms that are out to unsettle the country's constitutional structure.
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