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Huji became JMB, reveals militant

Staff Correspondent
Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), the Islamist militant organisation blamed for the August 17 countrywide bomb attack, took the name in 2003, changing its previous one, Harkat ul Jihad (Huji), said a JMB activist involved in the August 17 attack in Joypurhat.
Confessing his involvement in the August attack, 23-year-old Azizul Bari Mintu, also said top JMB leaders decided later to take the name of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB), but refrained from implementing the decision as anti-outlaw vigilante operations in some northern districts by Bangla Bhai-led JMJB earned strong controversy.
There are about 100 JMB full-timers working in Joypurhat district under different covers, including tea-stall owners or grocers, rickshaw or van-pullers and day-labourers. Besides, there are several hundred followers, according to him.
The full-timers get a monthly allowance of Tk 2,000.
"I have been working actively for JMB for the last two years," he told a magistrate in Joypurhat Sunday, adding that he was involved with the militant group for four years.
The organisation arranged a two-month physical training exercise for about 100 activists one and half years ago at an undisclosed place surrounded by jungle.
"We were ordered not to ask any questions about the training or the identity of the trainers and other trainees or the place," Mintu said in his confessional statement.
"We were blindfolded while taken on a bus and were kept blindfolded during the whole journey that took about four hours. So, we failed to identify the training venue."
The training focused on selfdefence without any arms. Only bamboo and wooden sticks were used as weapons, he said.
Mintu set up a small shop in Joypurhat town to make cover and used to get paid Tk 2,000 a month from his organisation as an active worker.
"The part of work of active workers like me was to give oration among different groups of people to establish Islam in an ultimate aim to recruit them," he said. They introduced themselves as 'mujahideen' (Islamic version of crusader) during their work.
On the plan of the August 17 operation, he said: "Top district and Joypurhat town leaders held a meeting at an Ahle Hadith mosque at Bazla in the town on August 16 night where I and three other hardcore activists were asked to join."
The JMB district commander paid the four Tk 2,000 each and five other people unknown to him an undisclosed amount of money.
"The commander, whom we call 'hujur', asked the five men to meet him at his house after Fazr prayers the next day and receive some leaflets," said Mintu.
The 'hujur' also asked the four to meet him at the same time.
"He said the five would carry out an operation on August 17 and we'll have to follow them to see whether they can accomplish the mission and rescue them if they face any problem," Mintu said.
When the five men and Mintu and the three JMB activists met the hujur the next morning, he handed over a bag containing some leaflets and a packet.
"Hujur briefed the five about their operation and instructed us to follow them."
Being the senior most of the four JMB activists, Mintu went to a point in the town and saw one of the five men abandoning a packet. "It went off rocking the whole area minutes after he abandoned it," Mintu said.
When he went to another point, the Judges Court, he saw that 'the packet' abandoned there had already exploded.
"Not knowing what was going on, I rushed to hujur's house and told him what happened. Hujur then told me not to be frightened and that the whole incident was done as per the order of 'top hujur'," he said, expressing ignorance about the identity of the 'top hujur'.
The district commander told him that he willingly concealed the contents of the packet (bomb) suspecting that they might be frightened after knowing what was in it, according to Mintu.
"But he told me that the bombs were blasted to attract public attention to the message in their leaflets."
The five unknown men planted as many bombs, but four of them blasted and police recovered one unexploded.
Well-placed sources said Mintu disclosed names of some local JMB leaders, but did not disclose them before the press for the sake of investigation.
Talking to The Daily Star over the phone last night, Joypurhat Superintendent of Police (SP) Abdullah Al Azad Chowdhury admitted that Mintu confessed to his involvement in the August 17 bombing in Joypurhat and disclosed some significant information apart from his involvement with the JMB.
The SP, however, declined to detail further.