‘Jamaat in a new violence scheme'

Jamaat-e-Islami has developed a new technique for unleashing violence, said RAB after they arrested Ehsanul Mahbub Jubair, Sylhet Metropolitan Jamaat-e-Islami chief on Sunday,

Golam Mujtaba Dhrubabdnews24.com
Published : 17 March 2013, 09:29 AM
Updated : 18 March 2013, 04:10 AM

Jubair was arrested at a hotel in Uttara in the early hours of Sunday. RAB said he had been plotting to stage more violence in Sylhet on orders from the party’s central committee.

He is being detained for alleged role in leading a mob into desecrating the city’s Shaheed Minar, attacks on policemen, detonating bombs, committing arson attacks on establishments and coordinating other violent incidents, said the elite force in a press brief at RAB-1 office in Uttara.

Lt Colonel Kismat Hayat, for Rapid Action Battalion (RAB)-1 later told bdnews24.com that activists of Jamaat-e-Islami were trying to create chaos by changing their own localities.

“Local leaders are staying behind the screen and letting activists from other areas stage the violent activities,” he said.

However, he said strong surveillance by detectives were not allowing a lot of these motives to unfold.

Leaders and supporters of Jamaat and its student front Islami Chhatra Shibir have been taking part in covert, militant like attacks on policemen since November last year. The attacks assumed a much larger scale after Jamaat Assistant Secretary General Abdul Quader Molla was convicted for crimes against humanity during 1971 and sentenced to life in prison.

They took out militant processions under the banner of several ‘Islamist’ parties and carried out countrywide attacks after Friday prayers on Feb 22, including in the capital Dhaka.

‘Ganajagaran Mancha’, erected in Rajshahi, Chittagong, Bogra, Chandpur by people in favour of death penalty of war criminals came under their attack. Shaheed Minars in Sylhet and Feni were massively vandalised. Police said Jamaat had incited these violent attacks.

The violence reached new heights after Jamaat-e-Islami executive council member Delwar Hossain Sayedee was convicted of war crimes and sentenced to death on Feb 28 by International Crimes Tribunal-1.

This time rail tracks were uprooted, police stations and outposts and other government establishments attacked. The Hindus faced persecution across the country as their households and temples were looted and set on fire by attackers. Offices of ruling Awami League were also attacked and vandalised.

The official number of casualties in the conflicts is 70 which include policemen, according to the government.

Lt Col Kismat Hayat said during the press brief that Jamaat-e-Islami leader Jubair has been accused in 16 cases in Sylhet for attacking the Shaheed Minar on Feb 22, explosions and chaos.

He has been mentioned in the charge sheets for five of these cases.

“Ehsan Mahbub Jubair was in Dhaka to receive orders from Jamaat’s central leaders before returning to Sylhet to launch those plans. He has been arrested based on that information,” said the RAB officer.

Jubair will be handed over to Uttara Police Station, he added.