Author: Editorial
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: October 1, 2008
Dhaka can't be allowed to legitimise terror
outfit
It is unfortunate that the caretaker Government
in Bangladesh has allowed the Harkat- ul-Jihad-al-Islami, or HuJI, to float
a political party, the Islamic Democratic Party, ahead of the December 18
election. This move will only legitimise the violent activities of the organisation
and is, therefore, reprehensible. It is astonishing how the Bangladesh Government
has ignored HuJI's record and has concluded that it has no links with terrorism.
This is far from the truth. The outfit is known to be involved in terrorist
activities for a long time and is suspected to be behind a string of terrorist
attacks in India. It was founded in the early 1990s reportedly with assistance
of Osama bin Laden's cohorts, drawing inspiration from him and from the Taliban,
though it may have prior antecedents in Islamic movements in Bangladesh. It
was formed with the intention of establishing sha'riah rule through violent
means and is against Indian and Western cultural influences in Islam. A large
number of its volunteers are said to have fought in Afghanistan alongside
the mujahideen in the war against the former Soviet Union. A number of these
returned to Bangladesh during the BNP regime of Begum Khaleda Zia and are
now spearheading the fundamentalist movement in the country. It is also said
to have recruited hundreds to its ranks. It may have up to 15,000 to 20,000
members most of whom have been recruited from madarsas. Quite a few of them
may have also trained in camps in Afghanistan, especially during the Taliban
regime. The HuJI also reportedly maintains clandestine training camps in parts
of Bangladesh. It is also believed to have links with the ISI and other terrorist
organisations in India. It is not that the Bangladesh authorities are unaware
of this. In July 2000 it had blamed the organisation for two alleged attempts
to kill Ms Sheikh Hasina, when explosive devices were recovered at places
to be visited by her.
There have been a number of violent incidents
in Bangladesh in which the local police suspect the involvement of HuJI. Non-governmental
organisations have also been targeted by the group. Hundreds of NGOs working
to improve living standards and the condition of women in that country have
been accused by the outfit of destroying Islamic culture. It has also targeted
intellectuals and journalists as part of its terror campaign. The Bangladesh
Government banned HuJI in 2005. Now, in a dramatic twist, it has allowed it
to form a political party. Letting fundamentalist Islamic elements into the
political mainstream cannot be good for Bangladesh's polity. The decision
must be revoked.
