A recent government intelligence report has identified 11 districts across the country as highly vulnerable to attacks by Islamist hardliners, and asked the areas’ law enforcement forces to remain vigilant, according to highly placed police officials.
The 11 districts are Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj, Sirajganj, Bogra, Satkhira, Joypurhat, Gaibandha, Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, Jessore and Dinajpur.
The report pointed out, over the last ten months, police and police stations have come under attack from radical Islamists, namely Jamaat-e-Islami and Hefazat-e-Islam, killing 12 policemen and injuring 400 others in 305 different places in the country.
The intelligence report mentioned that the days following the Eid-ul-Azha would be very difficult for law enforcers in the face of increased Jamaat-Shibir attacks in the 11 districts.
It goes on to say that the Jamaat-Shibir activists are mulling over making covert attacks on police patrol teams, stations and other establishments. Their main objective is to weaken the police force and create terror across the country on a large scale.
According to the Bangladesh Police Headquarters, four police officials Babul Mia, Nazimuddin, Hazrat Ali and Tozzammel Hossain were killed in Gaibandhain in a Jamaat-Shibir attack on February 28, following the International Crime Tribunal verdict on Jamaat leader Delwar Hossain Sayedee. Another police official Abu Tarek was killed the same day in Chittagong.
During the hartal on March 3 this year, Constable Omar Faruk was killed in Jhenaidah, on March 5 Constable Mozahar Ali was murdered in Rangpur and Constable Hafizur Rahman was killed in Khulna on March 10.
Earlier, on January 31, Constable Kazi Zahirul Haque was killed in a Jamaat-Shibir attack in Jessore. On May 5 and 6, Sub-Inspector Shahjahan was killed in Motijheel area in the capital while Nayek Firoz Khan and Constable Zakaria died in Hefazat-e-Islam’s attacks in Narayanganj on May 6.
The report, submitted to the police headquarters pointed out that the Jamaat-Shibir attack on police had started way back on September 19, 2011, when they had demanded release of their detained leaders.
Their attacks increased in intensity from November 5 last year, when Jamaat activists attacked police in 90 different spots during that month. Over the last ten months, more than 400 police officials had been injured in their attacks.
When contacted, Mohammad Waishkuruni, coordinator of Rajarbagh Police Lines Hospital, told the Dhaka Tribune that around 163 police officers had received treatment at the hospital from November 5, 2012 until date.
They also set a police constable on fire on November 12 last year in Joypurhat and beat up Sub-Inspector Jahangir Hossain in Rajshahi, who was later saved due to the kindness of Jhorna Begum.
“Among the injured, some of them even had to be sent to hospitals abroad for better treatment,” he said.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune, several officers-in-charge at different police stations in the capital said though Hefazat has been silent after their May 5 blockade, Jamaat-Shibir activists are still unstoppable. They divide in small groups to attack police, but the police are on alert to fend off any sabotage activities.