A top Islamist will be hanged after Bangladesh&#39;s president rejected a mercy plea.

Mufti Abdul Hannan and two associates were handed the death sentence for attacking a shrine that left three people dead and wounded the British high commissioner at the time.

Bangladesh&#39;s highest court last month upheld a 2008 death sentence on Mufti Abdul Hannan and two associates for an attack Hazrat Shahjalal&rsquo;s&nbsp;shrine in 2004. The deadly attack left three people dead and injured the British high commissioner at the time.

Hannan was also sentenced to death for his role in Ramna Batamul attack in 2001.

Last month, Hannan had written&nbsp;to President Abdul Hamid seeking clemency. &nbsp;

&quot;But the president has rejected all three mercy petitions,&quot; his press secretary Joynal Abedin told AFP.

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal confirmed the news, saying Kashimpur jail authorities have started the preparation for his execution.

&quot;Mufti Hannan will be executed anytime,&quot; Dhaka Tribune quoted the minister as saying.

Authorities have not announced a date but the executions are expected sometime this month.&nbsp;

Hannan headed the Harkat-ul Jihad Al Islami (HuJI) group. &nbsp;The attack on the British ambassador in 2004 was among the most high-profile of a series of assaults by the group across Bangladesh in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

The decision to reject clemency comes just weeks after militants attempted to free Hannan by hurling bombs at police vans as police transferred him between prisons.

By the time Hannan was arrested in late 2005 more than 100 people had been killed in attacks by HuJI on a church, secular gatherings and mosques used by Islam&#39;s minority sects.

Bangladesh has suffered a spate of attacks on secular activists, foreigners and religious minorities in recent years.&nbsp;

Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have claimed responsibility in some cases but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina&#39;s secular government has pinned the blame on local outfits.

There has been a resurgence of Islamist extremist attacks in recent weeks, with at least three being claimed by IS.&nbsp;

The fatalities included the head of intelligence of an elite security force tasked with tacking Islamist militancy across the Muslim-majority country. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Police and army commandos have arrested scores of suspected extremists and killed more than 60 people since an attack on a Dhaka cafe last year that left 22 dead.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Mufti Hannan, handed the death sentence for his involvement in multiple attacks in the noughties, will be reportedly executed this month

A top Islamist will be hanged after Bangladesh's president rejected a mercy plea. Mufti Abdul Hannan and two associates were handed the death sentence for attacking a shrine that left three people dead and wounded the British high commissioner at the time. Bangladesh's highest court last month upheld a 2008 death sentence on Mufti Abdul Hannan and two associates for an attack Hazrat Shahjalal’s shrine in 2004. The deadly attack left three people dead and injured the British high commissioner at the time. Hannan was also sentenced to death for his role in Ramna Batamul attack in 2001. Last month, Hannan had written to President Abdul Hamid seeking clemency. "But the president has rejected all three mercy petitions," his press secretary Joynal Abedin told AFP. Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal confirmed the news, saying Kashimpur jail authorities have started the preparation for his execution. "Mufti Hannan will be executed anytime," Dhaka Tribune quoted the minister as saying. Authorities have not announced a date but the executions are expected sometime this month. Hannan headed the Harkat-ul Jihad Al Islami (HuJI) group. The attack on the British ambassador in 2004 was among the most high-profile of a series of assaults by the group across Bangladesh in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The decision to reject clemency comes just weeks after militants attempted to free Hannan by hurling bombs at police vans as police transferred him between prisons. By the time Hannan was arrested in late 2005 more than 100 people had been killed in attacks by HuJI on a church, secular gatherings and mosques used by Islam's minority sects. Bangladesh has suffered a spate of attacks on secular activists, foreigners and religious minorities in recent years. Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group have claimed responsibility in some cases but Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's secular government has pinned the blame on local outfits. There has been a resurgence of Islamist extremist attacks in recent weeks, with at least three being claimed by IS. The fatalities included the head of intelligence of an elite security force tasked with tacking Islamist militancy across the Muslim-majority country. Police and army commandos have arrested scores of suspected extremists and killed more than 60 people since an attack on a Dhaka cafe last year that left 22 dead. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Top Islamist to be hanged after president rejects clemency plea

Five suspected militants were killed Thursday as Bangladesh police conducted a series of raids on what they said were extremist hideouts following a series of deadly Islamist attacks in the country.

Police stormed a building in the southern port city of Chittagong overnight, sparking a 15-hour stand-off with militants armed with guns and grenades with around 20 civilians trapped inside.

Four members of the homegrown extremist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) including one woman died in that operation, police said. At least two were killed by a suicide explosion that they set off.

&quot;They came out in the stairs and carried out a big explosion. Parts of their bodies were spread to 25-30 yards (metres),&quot; said&nbsp;Sanwar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of the police counter-terrorism unit.

A fifth man died in a separate raid in an eastern border town. Police identified him as a member of the banned Jihadist group Harkat-ul Jihad al Islam, which was blamed for a series of deadly blasts more than a decade ago.

Bangladeshi security forces launched a nationwide crackdown following a deadly siege at a cafe in Dhaka last year, arresting scores of suspected extremists and killing the leaders of homegrown militant cells.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, in which 22 people including 18 foreign hostages were killed in July.

The Bangladeshi government however has said a new faction of the JMB was behind that and other attacks on foreigners and religious minorities in the country.

IS &#39;expanding to Asia&#39;&nbsp;

Police have this month carried out a series of raids in the Chittagong region after detaining two militants with grenades this month on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway.

Additional superintendent of police Mosiuddowla Reza told AFP elite counter-terrorism police reinforcements were sent to the area from the capital after midnight to storm the compound where the four died.

He said the suspects threw grenades and opened fire on police, injuring two.

Twenty people were trapped inside the building overnight after police cordoned it off, but all have now left safely.

Police also raided a second suspected hideout in the area where they arrested a husband and wife who they said were JMB members.

&quot;One tried to blow herself up before she was taken into custody,&quot; Reza told AFP.

&quot;We arrested them as the wife was holding her three-month-old child in one hand and tried to explode the suicide vest with the other,&quot; he said.

&quot;Our bomb disposal unit later defused the vest.&quot;

Japanese and Italian diners were among the 18 foreigners shot and hacked to death in last year&#39;s attack on the Holey Bakery, a cafe popular with foreigners.

The siege badly undermined Bangladesh&#39;s reputation as a relatively moderate Muslim nation and raised fears for the garment industry, one of the country&#39;s biggest sources of foreign investment.

Last August John Kerry, then US Secretary of State, said there was evidence to link the extremists behind the recent spate of deadly attacks in Bangladesh to IS.

Critics accuse Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina&#39;s secular government of using that and other attacks on foreigners and religious minorities to demonise her domestic opponents.

Terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna said the government should admit that IS has a presence in the country.&nbsp;

&quot;With IS expanding to Asia, sooner or later the government will have to reveal the truth,&quot; said Gunaratna, head of the Singapore-based International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, in comments emailed to AFP.

(AFP)

Four members of the homegrown extremist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) including one woman died in that operation, police said

Five suspected militants were killed Thursday as Bangladesh police conducted a series of raids on what they said were extremist hideouts following a series of deadly Islamist attacks in the country. Police stormed a building in the southern port city of Chittagong overnight, sparking a 15-hour stand-off with militants armed with guns and grenades with around 20 civilians trapped inside. Four members of the homegrown extremist group Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) including one woman died in that operation, police said. At least two were killed by a suicide explosion that they set off. "They came out in the stairs and carried out a big explosion. Parts of their bodies were spread to 25-30 yards (metres)," said Sanwar Hossain, additional deputy commissioner of the police counter-terrorism unit. A fifth man died in a separate raid in an eastern border town. Police identified him as a member of the banned Jihadist group Harkat-ul Jihad al Islam, which was blamed for a series of deadly blasts more than a decade ago. Bangladeshi security forces launched a nationwide crackdown following a deadly siege at a cafe in Dhaka last year, arresting scores of suspected extremists and killing the leaders of homegrown militant cells. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack, in which 22 people including 18 foreign hostages were killed in July. The Bangladeshi government however has said a new faction of the JMB was behind that and other attacks on foreigners and religious minorities in the country. IS 'expanding to Asia' Police have this month carried out a series of raids in the Chittagong region after detaining two militants with grenades this month on the Dhaka-Chittagong highway. Additional superintendent of police Mosiuddowla Reza told AFP elite counter-terrorism police reinforcements were sent to the area from the capital after midnight to storm the compound where the four died. He said the suspects threw grenades and opened fire on police, injuring two. Twenty people were trapped inside the building overnight after police cordoned it off, but all have now left safely. Police also raided a second suspected hideout in the area where they arrested a husband and wife who they said were JMB members. "One tried to blow herself up before she was taken into custody," Reza told AFP. "We arrested them as the wife was holding her three-month-old child in one hand and tried to explode the suicide vest with the other," he said. "Our bomb disposal unit later defused the vest." Japanese and Italian diners were among the 18 foreigners shot and hacked to death in last year's attack on the Holey Bakery, a cafe popular with foreigners. The siege badly undermined Bangladesh's reputation as a relatively moderate Muslim nation and raised fears for the garment industry, one of the country's biggest sources of foreign investment. Last August John Kerry, then US Secretary of State, said there was evidence to link the extremists behind the recent spate of deadly attacks in Bangladesh to IS. Critics accuse Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's secular government of using that and other attacks on foreigners and religious minorities to demonise her domestic opponents. Terrorism expert Rohan Gunaratna said the government should admit that IS has a presence in the country. "With IS expanding to Asia, sooner or later the government will have to reveal the truth," said Gunaratna, head of the Singapore-based International Centre for Political Violence and Terrorism Research, in comments emailed to AFP. (AFP)

Bangladesh: Five militants gunned down after 15-hour armed standoff

The typical assessment for militancy in Bangladesh has been a case of poverty and illiteracy. This year&nbsp;has seen suspects with diverse identities and ones that have until recently been unsuspected. 
&nbsp; 
Former defence personnel, educated youth and women perpetrators of terror&nbsp;have shocked people about the avenues of terrorist recruitment. 
&nbsp; 
The diversity of profiles that have now&nbsp;become more apparent is a result of an ideological environment that has extended a moral licence to radicalisation. 
&nbsp; 
While security forces are on an all-out effort to crackdown on militants in the country, Bangladesh is experiencing newer levels of extremism. 
&nbsp; 
The chief of Al-Qaida&rsquo;s local affiliate, Ansar Al Islam, is Syed Ziaul Haque, a former major who was sacked from Bangladesh Army in 2011. Dhaka&rsquo;s counter terrorist forces killed&nbsp;Jahidul Islam, another former major, who was one of the leaders of Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh. 
&nbsp; 
There are youths from educated and affluent backgrounds joining terrorist outfits. This first came to prominence through the July attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, where at least three of the attackers came from top universities and schools. 
&nbsp; 
The latest revelation for Bangladesh is how women have joined militant outfits to become suicide bombers. 
&nbsp; 
The latest raid at Ashkona in Dhaka on December 24, titled &#39;Operation Ripple 24&#39;, revealed how terrorists have motivated women&nbsp;into becoming suicide bombers. While two suspected female militants surrendered to the police during the raid, one of them blew herself up. This is the first time Bangladesh has seen radicalised women go to such an extreme. 
&nbsp; 
Security forces say that most of the Bangladeshi female radicals are&nbsp;influenced by their husbands and that they did not voluntarily become radicals. That is still a considerable threat. Expanding tribes through kinship in the Chinese dynasties has been a political strategy to keep supremacy as early as in 1500 BC. Such practice has evolved among political parties even in Bangladesh. 
&nbsp; 
WION has learned&nbsp;from investigators that contrary to the belief that the female jihadists became radicalised under pressure from&nbsp;their husbands, there are also those such as Jebunnahar Shila, wife of deceased militant, Jahidul Islam, who is&nbsp;defensive about her extremist values. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;We need to recognise that the threat as we knew it has evolved quite substantially. The type of people who were attracted to militancy and the radical path in the past, the profiles of those individuals have changed a lot,&rdquo; said&nbsp;Shafqat Munir, research fellow, Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies. 
&nbsp; 
&ldquo;When we look at 2017, we have to acknowledge that the threat is substantial and various new kinds of people are getting attracted to radical ideology. So our countering violent extremism and counter radicalisation strategy have to be geared towards that,&rdquo; he told&nbsp;WION. 
&nbsp; 
Investigators are saying that youth devoid of the history and culture of Bangladesh are more susceptible to radicalisation. And while&nbsp;there is no one theory explaining the&nbsp;radicalisation of Bangladesh&nbsp;youth across&nbsp;socioeconomic backgrounds, the access and exposure to&nbsp;extremist ideologies has&nbsp;become more pervasive. 
&nbsp; 
No militant attacks have occurred since July in Dhaka, but the tension is no longer local. Under cover of religious virtues, terrorism seeks to lend local and personal grievances a global perspective. There is an awkward quiet&nbsp;in the air&nbsp;where security analysts fear that the possibility of more attacks cannot be ruled out.

(WION)

The old profile of radicals is expanding. Former defence personnel, educated youth and women have taken part in terror activity this year

The typical assessment for militancy in Bangladesh has been a case of poverty and illiteracy. This year has seen suspects with diverse identities and ones that have until recently been unsuspected. Former defence personnel, educated youth and women perpetrators of terror have shocked people about the avenues of terrorist recruitment. The diversity of profiles that have now become more apparent is a result of an ideological environment that has extended a moral licence to radicalisation. While security forces are on an all-out effort to crackdown on militants in the country, Bangladesh is experiencing newer levels of extremism. The chief of Al-Qaida’s local affiliate, Ansar Al Islam, is Syed Ziaul Haque, a former major who was sacked from Bangladesh Army in 2011. Dhaka’s counter terrorist forces killed Jahidul Islam, another former major, who was one of the leaders of Neo Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh. There are youths from educated and affluent backgrounds joining terrorist outfits. This first came to prominence through the July attack at the Holey Artisan Bakery in Dhaka, where at least three of the attackers came from top universities and schools. The latest revelation for Bangladesh is how women have joined militant outfits to become suicide bombers. The latest raid at Ashkona in Dhaka on December 24, titled 'Operation Ripple 24', revealed how terrorists have motivated women into becoming suicide bombers. While two suspected female militants surrendered to the police during the raid, one of them blew herself up. This is the first time Bangladesh has seen radicalised women go to such an extreme. Security forces say that most of the Bangladeshi female radicals are influenced by their husbands and that they did not voluntarily become radicals. That is still a considerable threat. Expanding tribes through kinship in the Chinese dynasties has been a political strategy to keep supremacy as early as in 1500 BC. Such practice has evolved among political parties even in Bangladesh. WION has learned from investigators that contrary to the belief that the female jihadists became radicalised under pressure from their husbands, there are also those such as Jebunnahar Shila, wife of deceased militant, Jahidul Islam, who is defensive about her extremist values. “We need to recognise that the threat as we knew it has evolved quite substantially. The type of people who were attracted to militancy and the radical path in the past, the profiles of those individuals have changed a lot,” said Shafqat Munir, research fellow, Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies. “When we look at 2017, we have to acknowledge that the threat is substantial and various new kinds of people are getting attracted to radical ideology. So our countering violent extremism and counter radicalisation strategy have to be geared towards that,” he told WION. Investigators are saying that youth devoid of the history and culture of Bangladesh are more susceptible to radicalisation. And while there is no one theory explaining the radicalisation of Bangladesh youth across socioeconomic backgrounds, the access and exposure to extremist ideologies has become more pervasive. No militant attacks have occurred since July in Dhaka, but the tension is no longer local. Under cover of religious virtues, terrorism seeks to lend local and personal grievances a global perspective. There is an awkward quiet in the air where security analysts fear that the possibility of more attacks cannot be ruled out. (WION)

Terrorism beyond poor and illiterate: Bangladesh case study

Five people believed to be members of outlawed Islamist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB), who were arrested on Tuesday, were planning to carry out attacks on New Year&#39;s Eve in Dhaka, Bangaldesh police&#39;s counter-terrorism unit said.

Police found 30 kilograms of explosives when they raided an apartment in capital Dhaka&#39;s Darus Salam.

&ldquo;In primary interrogation, the militants told us that they had planned to carry out attacks on the 31st night, during New Year celebrations,&rdquo; Dhaka Tribune reported&nbsp;counter-terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam as saying.

The Bangladesh security has been on its toes ever since five militants stormed an upscale bakery in Gulshan Thana on July 1, 2016, killing 29 people including 20 hostages.

(WION)

Police say they recovered 30 kilograms of explosives when they raided their Dhaka apartment

Five people believed to be members of outlawed Islamist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB), who were arrested on Tuesday, were planning to carry out attacks on New Year's Eve in Dhaka, Bangaldesh police's counter-terrorism unit said. Police found 30 kilograms of explosives when they raided an apartment in capital Dhaka's Darus Salam. “In primary interrogation, the militants told us that they had planned to carry out attacks on the 31st night, during New Year celebrations,” Dhaka Tribune reported counter-terrorism unit chief Monirul Islam as saying. The Bangladesh security has been on its toes ever since five militants stormed an upscale bakery in Gulshan Thana on July 1, 2016, killing 29 people including 20 hostages. (WION)

Bangladesh: 5 'Islamist group' men planned Dec 31 attacks

Bangladeshi police stormed a militant hideout in it&#39;s capital city, Dhaka and killed nine suspected Islamist extremists after a gunbattle on Tuesday morning, officials said. 
 
&quot;Nine Islamist militants were killed after two hour-long gunfight,&quot; deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Masud Ahmed said, adding another extremist was shot and arrested during the raid in Kalyanpur neighbourhood. 
 
Police said they cordoned off an apartment building after suspects threw a small hand bomb at officers who were conducting a &quot;block raid&quot; in the area after midnight. 
 
The Islamist gunmen exchanged fire intermittently throughout the night as the neighbourhood was sealed off by hundreds of heavily armed police and the elite security force Rapid Action Battalion, police said. 
 
&quot;This morning police launched operation Storm 26 and was able to kill militants. We&#39;re now sweeping the place,&quot; Dhaka additional police commissioner Sheikh Maruf Hasan who led the raid said. 
 
He said all 10 were members of an Islamist extremist group, but did not say which one they belonged to. 
 
&quot;Their dress and their slogans before and after the attack all proved that they are members of (Islamist) militant force,&quot; Hasan said, adding that they were wearing black tunics and shouting &quot;Allahu Akbar&quot;. 
 
Bangladesh is reeling from a wave of deadly attacks by Islamist extremists.&nbsp;Earlier this month five armed men stormed an upscale cafe in Dhaka&#39;s diplomatic zone and killed at least 20 hostages, including 18 foreigners, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. 
 
(AFP)

Police said they cordoned off an apartment building after suspects threw a small bomb at officers conducting a 'block raid' after midnight

Bangladeshi police stormed a militant hideout in it's capital city, Dhaka and killed nine suspected Islamist extremists after a gunbattle on Tuesday morning, officials said. "Nine Islamist militants were killed after two hour-long gunfight," deputy commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Masud Ahmed said, adding another extremist was shot and arrested during the raid in Kalyanpur neighbourhood. Police said they cordoned off an apartment building after suspects threw a small hand bomb at officers who were conducting a "block raid" in the area after midnight. The Islamist gunmen exchanged fire intermittently throughout the night as the neighbourhood was sealed off by hundreds of heavily armed police and the elite security force Rapid Action Battalion, police said. "This morning police launched operation Storm 26 and was able to kill militants. We're now sweeping the place," Dhaka additional police commissioner Sheikh Maruf Hasan who led the raid said. He said all 10 were members of an Islamist extremist group, but did not say which one they belonged to. "Their dress and their slogans before and after the attack all proved that they are members of (Islamist) militant force," Hasan said, adding that they were wearing black tunics and shouting "Allahu Akbar". Bangladesh is reeling from a wave of deadly attacks by Islamist extremists. Earlier this month five armed men stormed an upscale cafe in Dhaka's diplomatic zone and killed at least 20 hostages, including 18 foreigners, in an attack claimed by the Islamic State group. (AFP)

Nine suspected Islamist terrorists killed, two arrested in Bangladesh police raid