Islamist militancy group Hizbut Towhid in action in Bangladesh

By: Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

Notorious Islamist militancy group, Hizbut Towhid [HT] has started open spread of hate speech through its own website www.tawheedprocation.com and established its distribution center of hatred materials at 31/32 P. K. Roy Road, Pustak Bhaban, bangla Bazar, Dhaka. The mentioned website, though claimed to be owned by the publication house of this notorious group, in reality, it is the official website of HT.

At the beginning of the page, an article is published in English titled ‘The true call of Eslam’, where Bayeezid Khan Panni alias Selim Panni, the kingpin of this terror outfit wrote, “to people, who are aware to even a minimum degree of what is happening around them in this world, it does not come as any surprise what pitiable situation the population of about 1600 million or 160 crores people who claim themselves to be Moslems are in. They are being subjected to untold horror by all other peoples of this world, defeated in every aspect, insulted, humiliated and killed. Their places of worship, their mosques, are being razed to the ground or turned into offices or clubs. Their women are being violated and killed. Yet, this is the people who go by the same name of those who were once the masters of this world. All others looked upon them in awe and respect, they ruled over half of the total land mass of the then world. They were the people who established the way of life [Deen] given by Allah over all the areas they conquered; they ruled unrivaled as none was there to challenge them in any aspect for they held the highest position in terms of military might, advances in science, civilization, in areas of new discoveries, inventions, technology and economic strength. Yet, all this could do little to prevent the wrath of Allah when the time came- and centuries have passed since they collectively lost in military confrontation to European Christian nations and accepted their subjugation in their lives. During the process of these defeats, lakhs and lakhs of these Moslems were killed, under tanks, burnt and buried alive-and shot dead, their dwellings were burned down. Their females faced the worst fates, being sold to brothels across Europe and Africa. Yet, the wrath of Allah has not ceased to this date. Christian forces in different parts of Europe namely Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania, Kosovo, Czechoslovakia, Chechnya, in Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Eritrea-in Asia and Africa-in the Philippines, Buddhists in the Arakan, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Sing Kiang [China] - Jews in the Lebanon and Palestine, Hindus in the whole of India, especially Kashmir, are carrying on with the persecution and massacre on the Moslem peoples with relentless pursuit. There has not been a single instance, where any Moslem minority has expressed their will to live as Moslems and they have not been persecuted. They are taken into custody, subjected to inhumane torture, hung or simply left to die. All because they want to live independently as Moslems. In the history of mankind, no other nation has endured the level of humiliation and insult that has been heaped on this people. The incidents in Bosnia are such that, they are no comparison in human history; where thousands of Moslem were killed and dumped in mass graves, more than two hundred thousand Moslem women were systematically raped, impregnated and held in concentration camps to prevent them from aborting their unwanted offspring. Eventually, they gave birth to children of their Christian violators.”

In the book and DVD named ‘Dajjal’, Hizbut Towhid kingpin Bayeezid Khan Panni terms Jews and Christians as enemies of Islam. He advocates ‘Jihad’ against Jews and Christians and their allies as ‘sacred task’ of Muslims.

According to Dhaka’s leading English language daily newspaper The Daily Star, on April 17, 2009 Police arrested 31 Hizbut Towhid activists, including its Kushtia regional chief, and seized books and leaflets on Jihad from Kushtia town [in the Southern part of Bangladesh]. They also recovered two kilogram of a white powder, which was not identified immediately.

Police claimed that of the arrestees, six were top-level leaders of the outfit including two alleged militant trainers who are also policy-makers of the organisation. Acting on a tip off, a police team, led by Officer-in-charge of Kushtia Police Station Babul Sardar, raided the organisation's Pather Disha office at Bara Bazar in the town in the morning and made the arrests while they were holding a secret meeting. The arrestees admitted that they have long been members of Hizb-ut Towhid.

Daily Star quoted locals saying, they would often see a group of people gathered at Pather Disha office, owned by Mahbub Rahman. People aged between 15 and 25 used to assemble at the office from different parts of the country. They held daylong meetings and left at night, locals claimed.

According to Bangladeshi police a large number of trained Hizb-ut Towhid men are active in Kushtia, Meherpur, Chuadanga and Jhenidah of Khulna division. Different sources say that at least 1,200 trained members of the outfit are active in the region. Most of them are Madrassa students belonging to poor families and Imams of mosques.

On September 9, 2003, 45 people including Hizb-ut Towhid men were injured when they clashed with locals at Poradah Bazar in Mirpur upazila in Kushtia. Police later arrested 43 Hizb-ut Towhid activists.

In Meherpur, 14 Hizb-ut Towhid men including its Meherpur unit chief Anisur Rahman were arrested in separate raids by Rapid Action Battalion [RAB] and police at Gangni on April 13, 2007. Police recovered firearms, bomb-making materials, books on jihad and leaflets from their possession.

In Jhenidah, 34 Hizb-ut Towhid men were arrested on July 13, 2004. Police also seized books and leaflets and other materials from them. According to a press report published a few months ago, the law-enforcement agencies have listed 29 Islamic organisations for suspected involvement in militancy and Hizb-ut Towhid is one of them. Allahr Dal, Islami Samaj, al Harat al Islamia, Jama'atul Faliya, Towhidi Janata, Biswa Islami Front, Juma'atul al Sadat, Shahadat-e-Nobuat, Jama'at-e Yahia al Turat, Joyshe Mostafa Bangladesh, al Jihad Bangladesh, Woarat Islamic Front, Jamaat-as-Sadat, al Khidmat, Harkat-e-Islam al Jihad, Hijbullah Islami Samaj, Muslim Millat Shahria Council, World Islamic Front for Jihad, Joysh-e Mohammad, Hijbul Mahadi, Kalemar Dawat, Islami Dawati Kafela, al Islam Martyrs Brigade, Dawat-e Islam, Tanjim, Hizb e Abu Omar, and Jadid al-Qaeda Bangladesh are in that list.

For the last few years Hizb-ut Towhid has been carrying out secret operations in the name of "dawat" in different parts of the country, especially in the southern region. In some cases police arrested some activists of different Islamic organisations during their suspicious activities.

For instance, law enforcers arrested a few Hizb-ut Towhid activists in Bhola in early September 2008 for their suspicious movement. Superintendent of Police of Bhola GM Azizur Rahman had told The Daily Star the outfit seems suspicious as Hizb-ut Towhid's activities have similarity with the activities and groundwork of banned militant organisations.

The organisations' activities surfaced early in 2008 when some of its operatives were seen distributing books and leaflets propagating Islamist militancy among students of the school.

Hizb-ut Towhid in its different publications being distributed among youths is trying to teach them that jihad or military program or armed struggle is a must to establish the rule of Islam.

According to The Daily Star, the organisation campaigns for armed struggle using the verses of the holy Quran. "… [if anyone] leaves jihad or armed struggle, they shall not be accepted to Allah as a momen [devout]," reads a publication of Hizb-ut Towhid titled "Islamer Prokrito Salah" [Real Salah of Islam].

In the book Hizb-ut Towhid says the Muslims as a whole are a military nation. The whole nation is a military force, each and every Muslim [man and woman] is a soldier, a Mujaheed and a warrior.

"The training of this military force is called Salah," the book reads.

Hizbut Towhid’s headquarters is situated at Dhaka’s Uttara residential area at House No. 4, road no. 18, sector no. 7. Uttara is one of the residential areas in Bangladeshi capital Dhaka, which houses mostly upper-middle class and middle class people. Bayeejid Khan Panni, claiming him to be ‘Imam-Uz-Zaman’ by placing himself just behind prophets is continuing to operate this notorious group with financial assistance from various dubious sources. This extremist outfit was established in 1994 at Korotian village under Tabgain district in Bangladesh.

Bayezid Ponni although operates HuT from his Uttara residence, there are now a number of branches of this notorious militancy group in a number of places in the Capital as well as other parts of the country. At Dhaka's New Eskaton Road area, Selim Clinic, which is located at the ground floor of a 4-storied building is used as the 'outlets' of Hizb Ut Towhid in collecting members and fund. Meanwhile, this group has extended its activities within Barisal, Feni, Kushtia, Madaripur, Tangail, Gazipur, Meherpur, Jhenidah, Noakhali, Khulna, Chittagong and Narshingdi districts under the patronization of its active members and donors. Funds of this group is collected in the name of 'Zakat' [Islamic donation].

The HuT chief, who left Bangladesh after the independence and returned in the '80s, published a book titled "This Islam is not at all Islam" in March 1996, which the government banned on May 10, 1998. He also wrote another book named 'Dazzal', where he said that Jews and Christians are the evils who should be eliminated by the Muslims. Besides, there are several leaflets and booklets on the HuT ideologies and objective. Followers of HT do not believe in democracy and traditional government system.

HT activists use iron hammer and tobacco dust when they attack. They used a hammer to kill one Abdul Malek in Pagla Bazar in Fatulla, Narayangaj on September 26, 2003 when local devotees protested the HuT activities. Followers of this extremist group term Azan as “bark of dog” and do not say prayers in mosques. They consider Islamic greetings or Salaam as “bad practice”.

Mahbub Ali, Kushtia district HT ameer, has been working along with 40/50 activists. Sohrab Hossain Khan of Sakukuthi village in Gouranadi upazila of Barisal, an absconding accused of a murder case, has also been leading HT activities from hideouts.

With the fund received from the unknown donors, Hizbut Towhid is gradually gaining military strength by recruiting and training their own 'suicide squad' to 'fight against evils' and 'liberate the world from the grips of devils named democracy' and establish Islamic rule under the directives of Bayejid Ponni.

Mohammad Bayezid Khan Ponni alias Selim Ponni terms working women as and women in politics as 'prostitutes' and gives his own 'Islamic Code' for men to marry any number of wives. His interpretation is, “women are created only for sexual pleasure of men and this is their only task”.

He projects Jews and Christians as true evils and preaches killing them or raping female members of Jewish and Christian societies as “divine task”. He also teaches his followers to wage any type of offensives on the West.

Bayejid Panni considers secularist forces as enemies of Islam and encourages his followers in killing seculars for “buying heaven”. In his interpretation, Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh [JMB] and other Islamist militancy groups are “sacred forces of Allah” and he terms Shaikh Abdur Rahman as the “Hero of Allah”.

Although Bangladeshi intelligence agencies are continuing to gather information on this extremist outfit, there is visibly no sign from the government putting any ban on its activities for reason unknown.

Moreover, it is reported that, a large number of Hizbut Towhid men are already going to a number of Western nations including United States, UK etc and they are actively working there in collecting members as well as getting prepared for “revolution against Jews and Christians”.

For the last few years Hizb Ut Towhid has been carrying out secret operations in the name of 'dawat' in different parts of the country, especially in the southern region. In some cases Bangladeshi law enforcing agencies also arrested some activists of different Islamic organizations during their suspicious activities.

For instance, law enforcers arrested a few Hizb Ut Towhid activists in Bhola in September 2008 for their suspicious movement.

The organizations' activities surfaced early 2008 when some of its operatives were seen distributing books and leaflets propagating Islamist militancy among students of the school. Hizb Ut Towhid in its different publications being distributed among its targets is trying to teach them that jihad or military program or armed struggle is a must to establish the rule of Islam.

The organization campaigns for armed struggle using the verses of the holy Qur'an. "… [if anyone] leaves jihad or armed struggle, they shall not be accepted to Allah as a momen [devout]," reads a publication of Hizbut Towhid titled "Islamer Prokrito Salah" [Real Salah of Islam].

In the book Hizb Ut Towhid says the Muslims as a whole are a military nation. The whole nation is a military force; each and every Muslim [man and woman] is a soldier, a Mujahid and a warrior.

"The training of this military force is called Salah," the book reads.

Few months back, Hizbut Towhid activists were arrested in different parts of Bangladesh, while they were distributing leaflets against Kindergarten schools and English medium education system in Bangladesh. It is learnt from various reliable sources that, Bayeejid Khan Panni has successfully recrited some West educated people in his group, who are working in preparing various publications for this notorious terror outfit. In recent months, the group has started agressively spreading its hate message amongst people with the intention of creating Jihadist mentality in the minds of commoners.

For the sake of peace and stability of Bangladesh as well combating rise of militant Islam, present rulers in Dhaka should immediately take the case of Hizbut Towhid into consideration.

No fundamental rights in Bangladesh - Interim Government

Dhaka, Apr 19 : A day after imposing ban on former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's entry into her own country, an influential adviser to the army-backed interim administration said, "there has been no fundamental rights under the state of emergency in the country". "Journalists should understand one thing that the country is under the state of emergency. None of us has any fundamental rights... The country is heading for a difficult situation," Mainul Hosein, the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser, told reporters on Thursday. He made these comments when journalists asked him about press advisories asking the media not to publish or broadcast Sheikh Hasina's interview aired by BBC Bangla radio service on Wednesday, the day the interim government imposed a ban on the former Prime Minister's entry into the country. Hasina was at that time in the United States and has now arrived in London on her way to Dhaka, as she has vowed to come back home defying the ban. Another adviser, M A Matin, said that the government would take action if she comes back home defying the ban. In her BBC interview Hasina said that she would come back as per her schedule and face the charges that the government brought against her. Meanwhile, a High Court bench asked the government on Thursday to explain whether the immediate past prime minister, Khaleda Zia, was under house arrest. Newspapers have been reporting over the couple of days that the Zia had agreed on a negotiation to go into exile, preferably in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.She might be forced to leave the country at anytime, according to intelligence sources. A section in the government, taking the advancement of the state of emergency, has been interfering press freedom. Asked about verbal instructions to the press by the government's press information department and intelligence agencies imposing restriction on printing some news items, Mainul, also in charge of the information ministry, expressed ignorance about it. "I do not know whether any intelligence agency has telephoned any media office imposing restrictions on any news items," he said. He, however, defended the agencies saying if any agency discussed about some news items and gave advice on the particular issue, there was nothing wrong with it. "Anybody can give advice as there is nothing wrong in it. It is the reality which the journalists should bear in mind that the country is under a state of emergency," Mainul added saying that the freedom signifies responsibility, which must be cared for. The adviser said, everyone should realise that it was a crisis time."There is little opportunity to live normal lives. It is true that we are enjoying freedom, but this is not such freedom as in normal situation," explained Mainul.

Dr. Richard L. Benkin & Hanzalah

During Dhaka visit (8-18 January 2007), Dr. Richard L Benkin with Hanzlah (Shoaib's son)

American interests in Bangladesh

American interests in Bangladesh
Rabbi Sue Levy writes from USA

The United States’ government is now engaged in several matters concerning Bangladesh, and they are all inter-related. In order to understand the positions being taken at this time, one must first look at the history of the last century. At the close of World War I, Germany had fought a war on its own soil and lost disastrously. Their agricultural fields were in ruins, as was much of their industry, and an entire generation of young men who could have moved the country forward had died. It was unthinkable to many Germans that they should not only suffer so terribly but also accept responsibility for what had happened. Within a decade a leader emerged, Adolf Hitler, a man who told them that all that happened had been the fault of the Jews. And, he promised them easy answers to terribly difficult questions. Never mind that the answers were lies. People were desperate for hope, and they needed someone else to blame. The result was a new war based on radical, fascist, nationalism and, more than anything else upon the hatred which Hitler nurtured.
We learn from our history. Today, Bangladesh is an impoverished country with people as desperate for answers and aid as the Germans were seventy years ago. When people have no jobs, fragile homes or no homes at all, and children they cannot afford to feed, it is tempting to believe those easy answers to difficult questions, and radical Islamists are willing to provide them. And, with those answers, which are no answers at all, comes a new generation of hatred and terrorism.
Here in the United States, we have seen enough of what hatred can do to know that it is in our interest to support moderate Islam and to help people out of the kind of desperate poverty that makes them easy targets of those who would give them someone to blame. In spite of our reputation as a wealthy country, we have many economic problems here at home. We have our own homeless and hungry people to care for and, like Bangladesh; we have our share of disastrous storms and other calamities that drain our resources. Still, we are mindful of the goodness we are so fortunate to have, and we understand that it is our responsibility to share it with others to the best of our ability.
The most noble and gracious way to help others is to make it possible for them to help themselves. To that end, there is legislation pending in our Congress that would give relief from tariffs to ten countries who deserve a helping hand. This would allow Bangladesh to become more competitive in the marketplace and create jobs in the textile and other industries. Virtually all Americans support this legislation and wish for it to become law. We also provide many millions of dollars in direct financial aid to the Government of Bangladesh for development purposes, health care and other Nevertheless, there are some conditions attached to the new legislation. First, there is separate legislation pending at the same time which would require that our government will assist only those countries that protect the human rights of its citizens. This means that all people should enjoy freedom of expression and freedom of religion as well as freedom for journalists to be able to write whatever they wish to say without censorship or coercion. And, there is additional legislation being considered by our government which would restrict financial benefits to any industry in which child-labor is used or in which workers are abused in any way. We believe strongly enough in the right of all people to be treated with dignity and respect, that we will not reward people for denying those basic elements of humanity to its citizens.
Many of the readers of The Weekly Blitz are familiar with the false charges that have been brought against the publisher of this paper, Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury, as well as the fact that he is presently on trial for sedition for having written the truth in a place where truth is often unwelcome. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a resolution stating that it is the will of our Congress that these charges be dropped, and that the harassment against him must end (The European Parliament has made a similar statement of support for Mr. Choudhury). Therefore, an effort is being made now to add one more restriction to any financial benefits given to Bangladesh – that your government will be in compliance with this resolution and protect a man who does not deserve to be imprisoned or face a possible death penalty. Please understand that I am a Jew and that Shoaib Choudhury is a devout Muslim and my dear friend and spiritual brother. He understands that the word “Islam” means more than submission to the will of Allah. At the heart of the word “Islam,” is the word “peace.” Peace requires understanding. And, understanding requires that the truth be made plain for all to see and read. That is his calling and his lifelong commitment to you and to us all. And for this, I love him as a brother.Is it fair for us to attach so many conditions before we part with money which poor people need? I believe it is, because these same people deserve to have their other needs met as well – the need to be treated with dignity and to be allowed to speak their minds without fear. Bangladesh was founded as a democratic republic, one in which free and fair elections would be held and in which a government would operate not in the interests of the wealthy and privileged, but in the interests of all people. We would like to call the Government of Bangladesh to live up to the promise and principles of its founders, principles which we share. And, if that can happen, then we wish to do everything possible to help those who need us most. I am not an elected official, and I do not speak for my government. I am an American, and I’m expressing my best understanding of all that my country stands for, and my deep caring and affection for the people of Bangladesh who would do the will of Allah in peace and friendship with us.

Courtesy: Weekly Blitz www.weeklyblitz.net

Deadly Delays

Deadly Delays

By: Dr. Richard L. Benkin

I was one of the few Americans in Dhaka last January when elections were canceled and a State of Emergency declared with the backing of the military. Like almost everyone—both Bangladeshis and foreigners—I greeted the new government with hope. It seemed that this just might the way for Bangladeshis to make a clean break from their tragic history. I still harbor the same confidence in Bangladesh’s current leaders, but three months after their takeover, I wonder if they have not dissipated the large amount of political capital they were given in January. The United States imports about 70 percent of Bangladeshi garment exports, and there is a trade bill with a Senate committed that should be an easy pass; but it is not. The tariff relief it would have awarded Bangladesh—already a weak substitute for the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) the Bangladeshis really want—is in severe jeopardy.
The new government has embarked on ambitious anti-corruption and anti-radical programs to their credit, but they continue to misread the importance Americans and others place on the false prosecution of Weekly Blitz editor Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury. Mr. Choudhury’s prosecution has attained a high profile in the West—the source of Bangladeshi aid and the market for Bangladeshi exports--where delays in dropping the admittedly baseless charges are seen as stopgaps for appeasing radical Islamists and undermining the War on Terror. Moreover, they seem to say that the new government is not so serious about human rights reform and the use of the Bangladeshi judiciary to silence dissidents, journalists, women, and minorities.
Prior to the State of Emergency, every one of the western democracies had come out publicly against holding the elections that were scheduled that month. This seemingly odd turn of events should have tipped off even the dimmest bulb that things had reached a point of no return. The impending elections were transparently rigged; and if the BNP should hang its head in shame for shedding all but the shell of Bangladeshi democracy, the Awami League also contributed its share of stupidity to the situation. For even after it had won over every serious nation to its side, the AL in the form of its leader Sheikh Hasina declared her intention to increase rioting in the streets and shut down the country. No wonder it was almost impossible to find a Bangladeshi who was not happy about the new regime (aside of course from those who expected to benefit from the corruption gravy train that had come to be a signature of Bangladeshi politics).
It is no surprise that the previous government completely mishandled the Choudhury case. It was beholden to its Islamist partners who were determined to make Mr. Choudhury an example for other Muslims who might decide to oppose them. It tried to fool the Americans with interminable and whispered plots to end the matter without taking a stand against the Islamists, while touting invisible credentials as allies in the War on Terror. Its Washington embassy was feeding Dhaka a regular diet of misinformation to ignore the growing outrage over the Choudhury case as little more than a temporary nuisance. Thus, when the US Embassy presented Dhaka with a Congressional resolution demanding they drop the charges “immediately,” it was incredulous.
And why shouldn’t the government have expected as much? After all, it had made persecuting journalists something routine, and there was never much outrage over it before. But Mr. Choudhury had somehow captured the West’s imagination. He began his efforts by extending a friendly Muslim hand to Jews and Christians; a friendly Bangladeshi hand to Israelis and Americans. His combination of Bangladeshi pride and resoluteness in opposing international Islamists encouraged us. And he was unabashed and public when so many other Muslims who oppose Islamists do so quietly.
Thus, Mr. Choudhury’s supporters looked to Dhaka’s new leaders with anticipation. Previous officials admitted that the charges remained only to appease Islamists, to whom the government was no longer beholden; and the esteemed international human rights attorney Irwin Cotler had identified eight violations of Bangladesh’s own law in the prosecution. Dr. Cotler’s clients have included Nelson Mandela and Andrei Sakharov. Surely, Bangladesh’s leaders do not want to see their country placed along side of Apartheid South Africa and Soviet Russia.
When Congress passed the Shoaib resolution, I passed Dhaka a cue about its potential consequences. An article published in several Bangladeshi papers noted that the Republican floor leader for the debate and someone who supported the resolution “wholeheartedly” represents the district with largest importer of Bangladeshi goods in America. It was ignored. While the previous government responded to US concerns with damning duplicity and dissembling; this government has responded with delays. But movement on trade is not waiting; and what should have been a smooth trip through Congress for Bangladesh now appears to be in jeopardy.
Senator Gordon Smith, Oregon Republican, proposed a bill that would give tariff relief to several countries, Bangladesh among them. This sort of thing normally sails through Congress easily, but because Bangladesh remains defiant of a House Resolution passed by an overwhelming 409-1, the measure faces some difficulty. Already several organizations have been lobbying Senators for specific language requiring Bangladeshi action. Some Senators are getting angry telephone calls from their constituents. If Bangladesh wants to reap the rewards that the US is offering, it is time for it to put this false prosecution to rest.
Today’s leaders in Bangladesh seem to have a keen sense of what will benefit the country and its people, but have not acted. There are several ways to drop the charges via the courts or the administration. And the world knows it. If despite resolutions by the US, the EU, Australia, and others the government maintains these false charges, their only conclusion will be that the leaders in Dhaka lack the will to make it happen.

Courtesy: Weekly Blitz www.weeklyblitz.net

Rep. Mark Steven Kirk

Rep. Mark Steven Kirk champions the effort to free Bangladeshi journalist Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury.