At least eight blacklisted militant organizations are yet to be banned by the Home Ministry. These militant groups are operating with near impunity in the country. The groups are Allahr Dal, Ulema Anjuman al Baiyinaat, Hizb-ut-Tawhid, Islamic Solidarity Front, Tamir ud-Deen Bangladesh, Tawhid Trust, Jamaat Sahadat-e Nabuat, and Jamaat Al-Sahadat. They were blacklisted for their suspected involvement in militant activities.
An official of the Home Ministry told the Daily Observer that the process of banning the eight blacklisted organizations is on. A Special Branch (SB) of Police provided the list to the political wing of the Home Ministry.
The government had earlier banned Ansarullah Bangla Team on May 25 in 2015 and Hizb ut-Tahrir on October 22 in 2009. The five other banned outfits are Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), Harkat ul-Jehad al-Islami Bangladesh (HUJI) and Sahadat-e-Dawaat.
Ansar al-Islam, which claimed itself the Bangladesh wing of al-Qaeda and claimed the responsibility of killing of bloggers, is actually the new version of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) under a new name.
ABT chief Maj (sacked) Syed Ziaul Haque remains traceless till date.
Earlier, the previous BNP-Jamaat government outlawed Shahadat-e-al Hikma on February 9 in 2003, Jama'at-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) on February 23 in 2005 and Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (Huji) on October 17 in 2005.
But all the banned and listed organisations have been running their activities even after the execution
of six top leaders of the JMB on March 29 in 2007, and the arrest of several thousand leaders and activists of the banned outfits, mainly Hizb-ut-Tahrir and JMB.
"The government and the law enforcement agencies are working to take measures against them to stop militant activities."
There are allegations that political parties, influential quarters and intelligence agencies at different times use these militants for their own purposes.
Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested four suspected members of militant organization Allahr Dal, also known as Allahr Sarkar in Dhaka on August 19. The arrested have been identified as Sirajul Islam Seherul Mridha, 38, Moniruzzaman Monir, 40, SM Hafizur Rahman Sagor, 45, and Md Shafiul Moznabin Turin, 27.
RAB 1 Commanding Officer (CO) Lt Col Md Sarwar-Bin-Kashem said that Sirajul was joint captain, Moniruzzaman, deputy captain, Hafizur, assistant captain, and Shafiul, was executive member of the militant organization.
He also said that the militant group of Allahr Dal was established in 1995, under the leadership of Abdul Motin Mehdi alias Mominul Islam alias Mohit Mahbub alias Mehdi Hasan alias Matinul Haque who also worked as chief security officer at the National Parliament.
He also said that they are a very organized group. The organization had created a structure similar to that of state administrative structure of the country. He also said that the main goal of the organization was to create a country where rules and regulations will be mainly based on an Islamic system of governance.
According to law enforcers, apart from the outlawed and blacklisted organisations, more than 60 other groups both local and of international origin have also been found active in the country.
Some of the local Islamist militant groups under watch are Al-Harat al-Islamia, Jamayatul Falaiya, Tawhidi Janata, Jummatul al-Sadat, Al Jihad Bangladesh, World Islamic Front for Jihad, Warat Islamic Front, Al-Khidmat Foundation, Muslim Millat Sariah Council, Ahle Hadith Andolon Bangladesh, Hizbul Mahdi, Jamiatul Ehhia-ut-Turaj, Hayatul Igasa, Bangladesh Anjumane Talamije Islamia, Khidmat e Islam Foundation, Islami Jihad Group, Tanjeem Bangladesh, Iktadul Tulah Al Muslemin, Amanatul Forkan Al Khayriya, Ibtedatul Al Muslemin, Al-Sayeed Mujahid Bahini and Ahsab Bahini.
