'Neo' and the 'Old' outfits, the two streams of the banned militant group Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), are trying to regroup in the spirit of "Medina Charter". The military wings of the groups are working together under the ideology, police sources told the Daily Observer on Tuesday.
These militant groups are sending messages to their fellows stating that the concept of woman as head of the government is 'Haram' and that harbouring the idea damages 'Iman.'
The JMB and Neo-JMB militants are giving wrong and distorted explanations of the Holy Qur'an and Hadith to the young people and encouraging them to commit brutal massacres in the name of establishing an Islamic State in the world occupying a part of Syria. The Jamaat-e-Islami and Chhatra Shibir have joined hands in the process, the sources said.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) arrested Mohammad Moin Uddin, 45, who claims to be the Caliph Imam Mahadi from Shahjahanpur in the capital, for alleged anti-state propaganda and extremism.
Moin has been spreading propaganda for a long time. He claims to have been appointed by God as a special envoy, loyal servant of the Caliphate of Islam and says he is Imam Mahadi. He also claimed that he had prepared a Dhaka Charter much like the Medina Charter.
According to Moin, Bangla translations of the Holy Quran that are currently available are incorrect. He was writing his own translated version.
Moin had many followers who helped spread his anti-state propaganda material aimed at spreading extremism in Bangladesh. He used to anonymously send leaflets to people and organisations, which contained his anti-state extremist views on democracy, said ASP Alap Uddin of RAB 11.
"The military wing of both the groups of JMB are working together to regroup their activities with this ideology. These groups are also trying to fuel militancy in the country," Moin confessed to the law enforcers.
JMB, the banned militant outfit, issued a statement around two months back announcing Salauddin Ahmed alias Salehin as its Ameer, said Monirul Islam earlier.
The disclosure comes months after a JMB offshoot, 'Neo JMB' as law enforcers call it, reportedly carried out two deadly terror attacks in Gulshan and Sholakia.
On February 23 in 2014, Salehin and two other top militants-Rakib Hasan Russell alias Hafez Mahmud and Jahidul Islam alias "Boma" Mizan-were snatched in a prison van ambush by militants in Trishal upazila of Mymensingh.
Law enforcers believe "Boma" Mizan, an explosives expert, is also hiding in India. Hafez Mahmud, Khulna Divisional Commander of JMB and condemned to death, has been killed in an operation.
Established by Shaykh Abdur Rahman in April 1998, the group started underground activities that year to establish Taliban-like rule through armed actions.
It, however, grabbed the limelight in April 2004 when it started vigilante operations against the ultra-left outlaws, popularly known as Sarbaharas, in Rajshahi, Natore, Naogaon and Bogra.
Investigators say the 'Neo JMB' was responsible for the July 1 Gulshan café siege in which 20 hostages, including 17 foreigners, were killed.
The armed attack launched near the historic Sholakia Eidgah on July 7 on the Eid day leading to the death of two policemen, a housewife and a militant, is also an act of the 'Neo JMB'.
Recently, 'Neo JMB' distributed leaflets saying those who are surrendering to the law enforcers would be considered 'Kafir' (nonbelievers) and 'Murtad' (apostate), he added.
