JMB torture victim in Bagmara files case against 52

9 November 2009, 17:00 PM

Star National Desk

A victim of torture by JMB militants sued 52 people in Rajshahi while 22 other militants were produced in two Mymensingh courts yesterday. In Nilphamari, the district jail was put on red alert fearing subversive activities by the members of the Islamist outfit. Our Staff Correspondent in Rajshahi reports: A victim of torture by Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) members in Bagmara upazila lodged a complaint with a Rajshahi court yesterday accusing 52 people including three 'advisers' of the executed kingpin of the outfit, Siddikul Islam Bangla Bhai. Mohammad Jalal of Sajuria village lodged the complaint as he allegedly underwent severe torture and extortion during Bangla Bhai's campaign of terror at Bagmara in 2004. The first court of a senior judicial magistrate asked police to take legal action after investigating the complaint, said Jalal's lawyer M Shahnewaz. The accused include three of Bangla Bhai's adivisers -- Abdus Sattar BSc of Sakoa, Lutfar Rahman of Majhgram and Mostafizur Rahman alias 'Killer' Mostak. Jalal, a fish trader stated in his case that the accused demanded Tk 50,000 illegal toll from him on April 26 in 2004 while returning home from local market. As he refused to comply with, the accused snatched away Tk 17,000 from him. Later, they took him to a JMB camp at Razakar Ramzan Kaya's house at Hamirkutsa for torture. He also alleged that the accused tortured him at the camp for several days. Explaining the delay in filing the case he said, he was always under threat of the accused. In Mymensingh, police yesterday produced in courts 22 JMB men including three death penalty convicts-- Salahuddin Salehin, Asaduzzaman Ponir and Rakib Hasan--along with Fahima Akhtar, wife of Bangla Bhai. They were produced before the courts of Judge Sharif Uddin Ahmed of Second Additional Sessions Judge Court and Judge Dalil Uddin of 4th Additional Sessions Judge Court at around 10:30 in the morning for hearing and deposition of witnesses in three cases including serial bomb blasts in four cinema halls in Mymensingh. After the hearing and deposition of witnesses in the three cases, the accused were sent to jail. Our Correspondent in Nilphamari reports: The district jail authorities in Nilphamari has issued red alert in and around the prison to foil any possible militant attempt to disrupt law and order inside the jail or from outside the compound. The measure was taken considering the number of JMB militants in the jail and their rapid increase in the last few months. Rab and police have intensified patrol while different intelligence agencies strengthened their vigilance. Jail sources informed that 12 JMB militants out of 25 were shifted to Rangpur Central Jail recently for security reasons. The rest 13 include Azizul Islam, a close associate of executed JMB majlish-e- shura member Khalid Saifullah, JMB ehsar member Moshiur Rahman and JMB district commander Shoyem. Jailor Golam Rabbani said, besides other measures, restrictions have specially been imposed on relatives' meeting the JMB militants. Plainclothes police keep watch on such meetings while the relatives are not allowed to bring any food for the militants.