The militant groups in the country set up two strong platforms for recruitment, which appears to have proved successful.
Hizb ut-Tahrir's (HuT) recruited educated and elite family youths by manipulating them into believing in so-called jihad through social networking sites and Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) recruited fanatic men and emotionally damaged people instilling into them a sense of belonging in a community that protects Muslims.
A high official who is involved in investigating the Dhaka's Kalyanpur militant den affair told The Daily Observer on Monday that at least 6 (HuT) men killed during the raid came from elite families and were highly educated.
Intelligence agencies indentified at least 10 masterminds of militant recruitment drives in the country. Of them, four were of North South University (NSU) teachers, one BUET teacher, three doctors and two real estate bussinemen, sources told The Daily Observer. They recruited fanatic and emotionally damaged people for suicide squads.
Hasnat Karim, who was held hostage at Gulshan cafe but was released by the gunmen, gave a picture of a strong HuT network during DB police interrogation. Hasnat who worked for the North South University (NSU) in Dhaka seven years ago is believed to be a HuT operative, a source said. Police, however, have not yet found any definitive information that Hasnat was involved in Gulshan Café attack.
The Rapid Action Battalion(RAB) arrestred Dr Golam Haider Rasul, a cardiac specialist on January 18, 2012 from Raod no 13, House no 43, Sector 3 of Uttara in the capital. Haider Rasul confessed during TFI cell interrogation that a quarter of HuT is trying topple the government.
During interrogation Haider Rasul revealed specific information about the conspiracy to topple the democratically elected government in which some Army officers were also involved. Those Army officers held extreme religious views, he said. Some 'unruly' officers, including Major Zia (Syed Mohammad Ziaul Huq), now absconding, were actively engaged in the execution of the conspiracy through mobile phones and the Internet .
The dead militant Nirbah Isalm, who led Gulshan Holey Artisan Bakery attack in which 20 hostages including 17 foreigners were killed, resided near Haider Rasul's house at Uttara, the source said.
Rasul also gave information about who controls the HuT activities after its chief and DU teacher Mohiuddin Ahmed and HuT Coordinator and Dhaka University teacher Syed Golam Mowla were arretred. Barrister Karim Zaid is now the codianator (oparation) of HuT, intelligence source said.
The six HuT members who were who were killed during Gulshan café attack and an overnight raid in Dhaka's Kalyanpur were identified as Shazad Rouf Arko alias Morocco, Nirbah Isalm, Rohan Bin Imtiza and Mir Samiha Mobassir. Shehzad is the grandson of former National Security Intelligence (NSI) chief Brigadier General Abdur Rouf, Aqifuzzaman is the son of erstwhile East Pakistan's Governor Monem Khan's youngest son. Intelligence agencies have been alerting the government about the presence of Hizb ut-Tahrir in the country for several years as it is widely believed to be the political ideologue of all terrorist groups in the world.
In a report in 2005, the intelligence agencies expressed fear that the group may turn into an extremist organisation any time and suggested closely monitoring its activities.
Islami thinker Tokiuddin Al Nakhani formed Hizb ut-Tahrir in 1953 in Jerusalem, five years after Israel captured Palestine. Hizb ut-Tahrir preaches a utopian ideology of establishing an Islamic Caliphate across the globe.
Terming Muslim majority countries, including Bangladesh, "Daar-ul-Kuffar" (land of the infidels) because they follow non-Islamic laws and practices, it wants to turn them into "Daar-ul-Islam" first and then take on the Muslim minority countries which according to them are "Daar-ul-Harb" (land of war).
Hizb ut-Tahrir men allegedly have misinterpreted the Quran and are being financed mostly by Middle Eastern countries. Although banned in the Western and most Muslim majority countries, Hizb ut-Tahrir has been freely operating in Bangladesh for the past few years. On its website it promotes racism and anti-Semitic hatred, calls suicide bombers martyrs and urges Muslims to kill Jews.
