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B'desh bans Dawood-funded terrorist group

B'desh bans Dawood-funded terrorist group

Author: Press Trust of India
Publication: The Hindustan Times
Date: February 17, 2003
URL: http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_168121,0005.htm

In the first crackdown on a terrorist Islamic outfit by the Khaleda Zia government, Bangladesh has banned the newly-formed "Shahadat-e- Al-Hikma", a group funded by underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

"After observing activities of Al Hikma, it was found to be threat to peace and security of the country and that's why the decision has been taken to ban it," Bangladesh Home Minister Altaf Hussain Chowdhury told Parliament on Sunday.

The Minister, who announced the decision while making a statement on the blasts at a religious institution in northern Dinajpur on Thursday, said the ban was effective from February nine, a day after the outfit was formally launched.

Three people, including two teacher of the madarsa, where the blasts occurred, were arrested after the incident.

Kawsar Hossain Siddique, convenor of AL Hikma, while announcing its launching on February 8, had said the outfit was financed by Dawood Ibrahim, who heads the list of most-wanted terrorists in India and is the prime accused in the Mumbai blasts case.

"The government was determined to bring to book those who are out to destabilise the administration and defamed the country abroad," Chowdhury said.

The opposition welcomed the move saying the government had admitted to the presence of terrorist elements in the country.

This is the first time an Islamic organisation was banned by the BNP- led coalition government in which the fundamentalist Jamaat-e-Islami is an important partner.

Describing, Al Hikma as "a political party", Siddique had claimed the outfit had 10 thousand commandos and 25 thousand fighters working in the country to bring Islamic revolution.

Siddiquie has gone in hiding since then, media reports said here.

He claimed that a prominent member of Begum Zia's cabinet Barrister Moudud Ahmed, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs has helped Al Hikma, vernacular dailuy Bhorer Kagoj reported on Monday.

Ahmed is yet to comment on the allegation made by Siddiqie.

In the last four years one hundred persons have been killed and five hundred injured in ten major blasts that have rocked the country.

Police had issued "red alert" in northern districts following Thursday's powerful bomb blasts in which Islamist outfit Za'amatul Mujahidin Bangladesh is said to be involved.
 


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