Fencing Off Bangladesh To Keep Out Illegals & Terrorists
nkdat...@my-deja.com
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-1869575,00.html
Sunday Times, London, UK
November 13, 2005
India fences off Bangladesh to keep out Muslim terror
Dean Nelson, Dhaka
INDIA is accelerating the construction of a 2,500-mile fence to seal
its border with Bangladesh amid growing fears that its Muslim
neighbour could become "a new Afghanistan".
Indian officials and western diplomats have been alarmed by an
increase in terrorist attacks by militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda
and by the Dhaka government's failure to crack down on them.
One group said to have links with the government claimed
responsibility for 500 synchronised explosions in 63 of Bangladesh's
64 districts in August.
India's cabinet has decided to speed up work on the 8ft security
fence, which is intended to keep out terrorists and arms smugglers.
The fence, which cuts a swathe through some of India's densest
rainforests, will be finished by the end of next year and patrolled by
a border security force. Key stretches are being electrified.
The initiative follows attacks by two groups related to Al-Qaeda -
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh and Harakat-ul- Jihad-ul-Islami
(Bangladesh), which was among 15 organisations that were banned in
Britain last month.
Grenade and bomb explosions across Bangladesh have killed 30 and
injured hundreds in the past year. Two Awami League opposition leaders
were among those killed and the British high commissioner was targeted
in a grenade attack.
It was the August 17 blasts that caused the most alarm. Although only
two people died, they showed a new level of sophistication. There were
28 bombs in Dhaka alone and the targets included the prime minister's
office, the police headquarters and the supreme court.
Leaflets found at the bomb sites declared: "It is time to implement
Islamic law in Bangladesh" and "Bush and Blair be warned and get out
of Muslim countries".
Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh is led by "Bangla Bhai", a former
vigilante who once fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Opposition leaders and diplomats believe the government has failed to
act against Bangla Bhai and other terrorists because they have
connections with the governing coalition.
There are two Islamic fundamentalist parties in the coalition, which
is led by Begum Zia's Bangladesh Nationalist party: the Jamaat Islami
(JI), which has 10% of the vote, and the Islami Oikya Jote (IOJ).
The JI is increasingly respected by ordinary voters for its social
welfare work, lack of corruption and the operations of its bank, the
most profitable in Bangladesh. "You don't have to pay a bribe to get a
loan from them," said a western observer.
Senior members of the IOJ have declared themselves to be "for the
Taliban and for Osama (Bin Laden)". "There's a reluctance to
acknowledge there's a problem here," said one diplomat, who described
the IOJ as "real wackos". He added: "These are the ones going after an
anti-American armageddon. Some of the people charged with the bombings
have had linkages with the main party."
Sabir Hossain Chowdhury, an opposition leader who was detained for
three months after complaining about Islamic militants linked to the
government, said Bangladesh was being subjected to a campaign of
intimidation and the government was guilty of complicity. "Bangladesh
is probably the only government in the world that includes a group
which is committed to jihad and sharia," he said.
The country was undergoing creeping "Islamicisation", he added. "If
you look at state TV, more presenters are wearing beards. On the radio
they're reciting more and more from the Koran. The most notable
example is at Dhaka airport where signs are now in Arabic but no one
speaks it."
All the partners in the government coalition deny condoning political
oppression or terrorism or failing to act. They point out that they
have banned two of the main terrorist groups and made high-profile
arrests.
Western diplomats are caught between fear and denial. "Our impression
is that the government here has the ability to crush these guys if
they want to," said one. "All the ingredients for trouble are here."