India's Designs to Harm Bangladesh Using Islamic Militancy as Pretext

Mohammad Zainal Abedin -



During the recent Awami League rule (1996-2001), India began a
propaganda war which claims Islamic terrorists are becoming active in
Bangladesh. A section of Dhaka-based dailies frequently made reports
about the existence of the militancy in Bangladesh. They repeatedly
alleged that the Muslim terrorists were being trained deep in the
jungle of Chittagong Hill Tracts, or Sundarbans or different madrashas
of the country. Security forces instantly rushed to those spots
mentioned in the dailies, but found the reports fake and baseless. To
provoke the America-led western power India deliberately launched
media campaign that Bangladesh has become a safe base of al-Quada and
Taliban terrorists. To promote the idea of the existence of the
Islamic militant groups in Bangladesh, the government even officially
published booklets on the eve of the US President Bill Clinton's visit
to Bangladesh. American government, however, still officially claims
that there is no real Islamic militancy in Bangladesh, rather
Bangladesh is a moderate Muslim democratic country.

During its rule, AL government arrested a number of madrasha teachers
and students and Imams of the mosques branding them either as
terrorists or their godfathers and claimed that some of them were
trained in Afghanistan or Kashmir. But the court failed to prove the
allegation and they were released. But neither India nor AL stopped
their fake propagation and their followers or hired columnists stopped
their campaign. India and its allies in Bangladesh were cock sure
about the existence of such extremist groups in the country, as they
fueled them. It is unfortunate that our ministry of Home Affairs
failed earlier about India's hand in floating a number of
India-sponsored outwardly Islamic terrorist outfits that clandestinely
served in the interest of India in justifying the allegation of India
and its Bangladeshi allies.

India's constant aggressive designs to create disturbances in her
neighbouring countries ventilates her expansionist as well as jealous
attitude against her peace loving and innocent neighbours is known to
all. But India is particularly intolerant towards her neighbouring
Muslim countries, Bangladesh and Pakistan, as they were curved out of
British India. India, after 58 years of the partition of the
subcontinent, unfortunately failed to forget the spirit of two-nation
theory. She applies this theory in dealing with the Muslims inside her
own territory and beyond.

The recent bomb attacks on some NGO installations and cultural soirees
and the subsequent arrest of some terrorists under the guise of
so-called Islamic militants and their gangleaders unveiled India's
involvement. A number of Bangladeshi dailies on February 25, 2005,
quoting the interrogation of the arrested informed, that the recently
banned so-called Muslim outfits - JMTB (Jagrata Muslim Janata
Bangladesh) and Jamaatul Mujahiden-were the brainchildren of Indian
intelligence agency-RAW. The outward and instant aim of floating these
outfits was to justify Indian allegation that Bangladesh is a haven of
the Islamic terrors and provoke the government to take stern action
against the madrashas, their teachers and students. Such step will
make the government unpopular among the people that will deter the
possibility of returning to power of the alliance government and pave
the way to install a puppet government in Dhaka. The long-term design
is to invite American-led anti-terror invasion or get American
permission to invade Bangladesh so that either the invaders or their
puppets in Dhaka gradually can close down the madrashas and crush the
Islamic scholars, intellectuals, and even the pro-nationalist forces
and ultimately make Bangladesh a vassal state of India.

Now the question arises why India is inimical to madarasha education
in Bangladesh.

Historically, India believes in the unification of the pre-1947 map of
the British India, which means destruction of independent Bangladesh.
Indian policy makers believe that madrashas and madrasha education are
main sources of inspiration of pro-nationalist forces. So long these
institutions exist in Bangladesh, it will not be possible to control
and keep Bangladesh under her occupation if she invades and captures
it eve in remote future. Indians are aware that the maulanas,
mulllahs, imams, pirs, darvishs, in brief the Muslim religious
leaders, organised and led all the anti-British movements and
struggles in the subcontinent when the Hindus extended their
unconditional support to British occupation and exploitation. So the
real resistance in Bangladesh will come from the madashas, whenever
India bids to capture it. On the other hand, this education keeps the
candle of Muslim identity alive in Bangladesh, which is the main bar
of the reunification of the British India. For this reason madrasha as
well as madrasha education has become the prime
target of India. After the emergence of Bangladesh in 1971, India
tried its best to ban madrasha and Islamic education in Bangladesh
alleging that all the teachers and students of madrashas were
collaborators and they should be tried and given exemplary punishment.
But the then government paid no heed to pressure of Indian government,
though madrahas remained closed for certain period of time. But India
did not lose heart; rather worked vigorously over the years to defame
the madrahas and their teachers and students branding them
anti-liberation forces. Madrassas were termed as the producers of
'rajakars' and anti-liberation forces. Demand was raised from the
pro-India elements to close down madrashs and madrasha education.
During the immediate past AL rule, madrasha teachers and students
passed hard days and many of them were the victims of harassment and
persecution and thrown into jail under fake allegations. Pro-lndian
print media branded the madrashas as Taliban training centres. Same of
the madrashas were closed down during the AL regime (1996-2001).
Moreover, all the governments were directly and indirectly influenced
to change the curriculum and syllabus of the madrasha education in the
name of modernisation and reformation, so that the students and
teachers are gradually diverted to secularism, which is the road to
the unification of dreamy 'Akhand Bharat.' Above all, the debacle of
AL in the general election of 2001 scared India of and it came to this
conclusion that religious parties played the vital role in installing
a nationalist government in Bangladesh. Indian intelligence are
confirmed that the ruling alliance will come out victorious in the
coming election scheduled to be held in 2006. Though the government
adopts soft policy in dealing with India, it does not respond
positively in allowing transit or port facilities to India or allow
her forces to use Bangladesh territory to fight against the militants
of her northeastern states. Moreover, the relatively independent
foreign policy of the alliance government, its internal success
stories, above all its 'look east' policy scared Indians strategists
that Bangladesh would get out of Indian fold if the alliance is
allowed to form government again. For all these reason, India took
hard line against the
alliance government. Other than disturbing the government in hundreds
of ways, Indian agencies clandestinely recruited agents from those who
are outwardly seen and known as religious and have relations with
madrashas. This is how India now uses the card of the presence of the
Islamic militancy in Bangladesh in order to crush religious education
and brand Bangladesh a terror-infested country and isolate it from the
international community and install a puppet government to turn it
into a secular vassal state and annex it to India in course of time
when Muslim identity will be replaced by secular spirit.

Quoting intelligence agencies a number of Bangladeshi dailies said,
both the recently banned outfits were floated, financed and guided by
RAW to carryout disruptive and subversive activities. 'The Inqilab,
"The Manbjamin," The Amar Desh,' 'The Naya Diganta,' other dailies of
Dhaka on February 25, 2005, unearthed how RAW floated a number of
socalled Islamic militant outfits, JMJB (Jagrata Muslim Janata
Bangladesh), Jamaatul Mujahideens, etc., to implement Indian design
and controlled and guided their activities from across the border.
Police recovered some vouchers from the house of Mantazar Rahman,
which
show that some unnamed persons used to come from and go to India
through the Hilly Border. The arrested cadres confessed that an
assembly of learning the holy Quran used to hold at Jaypurhat
residence of Jamaatul Mujahideen Commander Mantazar Rahman and others
on every Sunday and Tuesday. In those gatherings vegetables were
served instead of beef during dinner or launch, but in Bangladesh,
beef is the main item of such occasion. The intelligence agencies
believe that the avoidance of beef indicates that some Hindus used to
attend in those outwardly Islamic gatherings to brief the leaders and
cadres of the outfits.

Other than briefing on subversive activities, other major task of
these outfits, were to award erroneous 'fatwa' (Islamic Judicial
decree). The main task of these RAW-financed organisations is to
derail and crush the real pro-nationalist Islamic movement in
Bangladesh. Indian RAW pours huge amount of money to expand these
outfits and keeps them active. No worker of Jamaatul Mujahideen knows
who was the real leader of the
outfit and from which source money comes.

It is learnt that a group of Rajshahi-based lawyers belonging to Awami
League (AL) and a section of anti-government dailies assisted these
groups in earning prominence and spreading activities of Shahadat-e-AI
Hikma, another outfit. Its Amir, Syed Kaowsar Houssain was a
half-educated Maulana. He was admitted into Rajshahi College in 1999,
but could no sit for HSC examination due to financial crisis. Kaowsar
does not have the financial or educational ability to run such a
militant organisation. So the question arises, how he could gain
financial ability to run the outfit. One pro-AL lawyer, Rashidul Islam
of Rajshahi Bar assisted and financed Kaowsar in drafting the
constitution and leaflets, posters and other publications of his
outfit. Rashidul Islam also provided him
legal assistance when he was arrested along with his party worker.
Sanjib Roy, the President of Hindu-Buddhist-Christian Okkiya Parishad,
accompanied Kaowsar on a tour to India. Kaowsar was introduced in
India with an Indian citizen Ashim Kumar who later took him to a hotel
and arranged his appointment with such a person who claimed himself
that he was Mafia godfather Daud Ibrahim. It is suspected that he was
high-ranking RAW official.

On the other hand, Jamaatul Mujahideen headed by Dr. Ghalib Rajshahi
University (RU) was floated in 1998 during Awami League rule. Most the
leaders and workers of this organisation are the followers of Ahale
Hadith. Abdur Rahman, who once acted as the Amir of Jammatul
Mujahideen, is the husband of the sister of Mirja Azam MP of
Jamalpur-3 constituency belonging to AL. Using his relationship with
an AL MP Abdur Rahman procured the dealership of fertiliser and earned
a lot of money during AL rule. On the other hand, Dr. Ghalib of RU who
now heads the outfit maintains warm relation with some influential
political leaders of different parties.

On the other hand, concealing his real profession and identity secret
during AL period, Dr. Ghalib using a business passport went to India
and stayed there for 11 days. When this forgery came to light, the
then Register of RU Prof. Mohammad Younus served showcause notice on
him and took disciplinary measures against him. But the initiative
deterred and foiled due to the interference of the then Home Minister
Mohmmad Nasim and the Mayor of Dhaka City Corporation Mohammad Hanif.
Both belong to AL. During interrogation, the arrested persons informed
that an Indian prominent religious leader used to come to Bangladesh
and inspired them to work for Islamic revolution. A number of
Bangladeshis got huge amount of money, arms, explosives and Other
materials through this Indian religious leader. As a result, the
activities of these groups suddenly expanded in bordering districts
like Satkhira, Chapai Nawabganj, Rajshahi, etc.

It is learnt that Indian RAW tried to brand Bangladesh as a terrorist
country using these elements The coal of raisine outwardly Islamic
outfits was to throw the government to an awkward position-internally
and internationally. When the government would take punitive measures
against the outwardly Islamic militants, the common Bangladeshis will
go against it. On the other hand, if the government remain mum, it
will be isolated from the international community. In that case, India
will get chance to prove that the government nurses the militants.
India will also try to persuade the western powers to impose punitive
measures against Bangladesh, including trade embargo, economic
blockade, even military invasion. Its short-term goal is to unseat the
present government, while its long-term goal is to isolate Bangladesh
from the international community and finally invade her.

The international community should evaluate India's historical design
and evaluate its involvement in imposing terrorism in her neighbouring
countries, particularly in Bangladesh. If a giant country constantly
designs to undo a tiny neighbour, it can neither wipe out terrorism,
nor survive. India is well aware of this evil theory and deliberately
creates terrorists in different sectors to meet her ulterior goal.
India is the architect of terrorism in Bangladesh. Under this
situation, international community before blaming Bangladesh for all
sorts of terrorist activities, should identify the real sponsor of
terrorism, that let loose the terrorists not only in Bangladesh, but
also in other South Asian countries and ask her to refrain from such
heinous misdeeds.