By Nazrul Islam in Prothom Alo, Jun 13, 2017, 20.07 hrs
Over the past six months, a total of 148 militants in the country have been released on bail from the Kashimpur central jail.
Alleged Neo-JMB leader Abdur Rauf was arrested from Dhaka in January this year and gave a confessional statement in court. On 2 June he was released on bail from the Kashimpur central jail. On the same day, alleged JMB member Saleh Ahmed was also released on bail. A few days before that, Ansarullah Bangla Team’s alleged member Ariful Islam also was set free on bail.
Officers of the police’s counter-terrorism unit have expressed concern over the militants coming out on bail one after the other.
They say that with so many militants in the open, it will be hard to keep watch on each and every one of them. This can create a fresh threat.
In January and February this year, 13 of these militants were released. In the three months from March to May, 114 were released. And in the first eleven days of this month, another 21 were set free. They all face charges under the anti-terrorism act.
The militants released on bail include members of Neo-JMB who follow IS ideology, old JMB (Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh), Ansarullah Bangla Team, Harkatul Jihad (HuJi-B), and Hizbut Tahrir.
Deputy commissioner of the Counter Terrorism unit Mohammed Mahibullah Khan told Prothom Alo that the release of the militants on bail is a matter of concern. Senior officials have contacted the relevant authorities in this regard.
He said efforts were being made to monitor the movements of these released persons so they do not resort to any form of sabotage.
The prison authorities say that there 669 militants in various jails of the country. The most dangerous ones including the top leaders of the militant outfits are kept at the high security unit of Kashimpur jail. There are presently 245 of them in the four jails of Kashimpur, including 200 in the high security unit.
Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies research fellow Shafqat Munir told Prothom Alo, there is a widespread threat of terrorism in Bangladesh. if the militants are released from jail before they undergo any reforms, this is a serious risk. They must be kept under close scrutiny if it is suspected that they will resort to crime once freed. Thought must be given to strengthening the existing laws. And consideration must also be given to reforming the militants before release.http://en.prothom-alo.com/bangladesh/news/150975/148-militants-out-on-bail-create-fresh-threat
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