For the Bangladesh centric Hizb-ut-Towhid (HuT), Year 2011 began on a ‘black’ note, The Bangladesh Ministry of Home Affairs blacklisted the outfit as a part of its campaign against Islamic fundamentalists. It is too early to say how effective the ban will prove to be. Much would depend on the political situation and how the Awami League (AL) – led Sheikh Hasina government handles the ‘street challenge’ thrown up by Khaleda Zia – led opposition alliance.
The presence of HuT as a radical and anti-Semitic Islamic group came to light more than a decade ago at Barisal, when its members mounted their first ever attack on ‘the enemies of Islam’. Known as ‘Hammer Party’, its cadres hit their enemies with hammer and throw tobacco dust on the face of their victims.
The second attack also took place in the same Barisal district on June 17, 2002. Police immediately swung into action and arrested 11 Hammerites but in those days when Jamaat-e-Islami was calling the shots in the government, they did not spend much time behind the bars. All of them were released on the intervention by JeI seniors.
A year later (Sept 26 2003), HuT targetted a prominent local leader, Abdul Malek, in Naranganj district. He earned their wrath by making some critical observations about Islamist militancy and Jihad. And paid the price with his life.
Led by Bayejid Khan Panni, HuT’s ultimate goal is establishment of Sharia (Islamic) regime in the country. It supports Islamist militancy, Jihad and various other forms of anti-Semitic activities.
To his followers, Panni is ‘Imam-uz-Zaman’ (Leader of the Age). He is also addressed as Selim Panni. Younger brother of BNP leader Humayun Khan Panni, Salem is a prolific writer, a time-tested demagogue, and a loud-mouthed rabble-rouser. Though HuT has its birth some time in 1992 (1994 according to some accounts) at Korotian village in Tabgain district, it was only in 2002 that Panni and his band started organising public meetings to spread the ‘good word’. Their ‘orientation courses’ have become a big draw with Salem Panni producing the anti-West and anti-Semitic ‘reading material’ reportedly with funds flowing in from Iran and Palestinian organisation.
HuT distributes its booklets, audio CDs and DVDs through out Bangladesh these days. In most places, the cadres sell the ‘literature’ as a source of local funding.
Selim Panni came out with ‘Dajjal’ in 2010. It was an instant hint in the jihadi circuit. Available in both print and DVD formats, the book dubs Jews and Christians as the enemies of Islam. ‘Wage a jihad against the Jews, Christians and their allies. Don’t spare the big Satan, America. This is the sacred duty of every true Muslim’, says Selim Panni’s magnum opus. It is not banned as yet. But his very first booklet "This Islam is not at all Islam" (March 1996) is banned since May 1998. Panni books tell the readers that killing Jewish men and Christian men and raping their women is a ‘divine task’. In his ‘Islamic Code’ men can have number of wives and woman’s ‘only task is offering sexual pleasure’
Not many details particularly about the organisational structure of HuT are available. What is known is that its headquarters is located in the tony Uttara area of Dhaka city (House No. 4, road No. 18, Sector No. 7). Here the in-house chief is Mashiur Rahman, who styles himself as the main commander of the outfit. Bangladeshi officials claim that HuT is operating in 16 districts at present. It is entrenched in Barisal, Feni, Kushtia, Madaripur, Tangail, Gazipur, Meherpur, Jhenidah, Noakhali, Khulna, Chittagong and Narshingdi districts.
One interesting nugget that came up front after the government banned HuT is that it has a two-tier female squad. One group comprises foot soldiers and the second group consists of educated women. Called ‘Balagh’, the foot soldiers are given guerilla training. Their number is put at around 300. And they mostly operate after sunset, quite often after the mid-night hour. What ‘work’ they carry out is not known.
The second group is, however, known to be engaged in a two-fold activity – one gun running, and two targeting rich businessmen. They also help HuT leadership in ‘sourcing’ arms and ammunition from abroad. The modus operandi of their second activity is time tested – entice the rich into a honey trap and blackmail them for money. Going by reports in the local media, these well educated and highly motivated girl cadres will not be more than 25-30. The money they ‘collect’ goes largely to HuT kitty to supplement US$ 30-35 million income it earns annually from money laundering. ‘Zakat’ (Islamic charity) by the rich is also a regular source.
A section of HuT youth cadres maintain links with Kashmir based militant groups. Also with Pakistan based Lashkar-e-Toiba and Sepah-e-Sahaba of Pakistan.
HuT operates a number of front companies in Bangladesh and abroad. It has valuable real estate and other assets in various cities across the world particularly in the Middle East and Malaysia. These assets were acquired through ‘deep under cover’ agents. Since the official ban, HuT is facing special surveillance. So more light should be available on HuT activities in the days ahead.
Leading Bangladesh scholars and academics point out that the Islamist menace the country is facing is much more deep rooted. HuT is only a recent phenomenon. The problem goes back to the days of undivided Pakistan, particularly to the Yahya Khan regime. According to them the problem was aggravated during the liberation war when the Pakistani military establishment patronized and promoted religious groups to ‘defend’ Islam and Pakistan and to target ‘traitors’ amongst the Bengali intellectuals and nationalists Women and children were not spared.. Al-Badar and Al-Shams were two of the chosen instruments. Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) played a leading role in the genocide.
The Jamaat had a re-birth of sorts when Khaleda Zia came to power in 2001 on the JeI crutches. It signalled the upswing in the activities of Islamic fundamentalist organizations that have been lying low. The surviving Al-Badar and Al –Shams have re-surfaced and became a part of the Jamaat for a new life. The presence of Jamaat-e-Islami (JEI) in the ruling Four Party Alliance (FPA) emboldened the Islamist groups of all hues.
The US action in Afghanistan and Iraq also contributed to their upsurge. It not only provided a platform on which all fundamentalist groups could rally together, but also saw the return of a large number of well trained and indoctrinated Bangladeshi youth from Afghanistan where they were assisting the Taliban. A natural corollary was the spread of pro-Taliban and pro-Al Qaeda sentiments and proliferation of Islamic fundamentalist organizations like Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB) that preach militancy saying ‘every Muslim is a Holy warrior’.
Battling these groups and their new allies is a stupendous task for the Awami League-led government in Dhaka. That it is determined to go after them is clear from the ban on HuT. The government also has re-opened the ‘war cases’ of treason and genocide against the Jamaat-e-Islami, its Amir Maulana Motiur Rahman Nizami and the surviving leading lights of 1971.
—-M RAMA RAO
