<i>Top JMB militant Shahadat was a Shibir leader 7 years ago</i>

6 July 2009, 17:00 PM

Rabiul Hasan, Chapainawabganj

Shahadat Hossain alias Abdur Rahim

Chief organiser of 'Islam and Muslim', a new offshoot of banned Islamist militant organisation Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Shahadat Hossain alias Abdur Rahim joined JMB seven years ago when he was a leader of Islami Chhatra Shibir. As a close associate of JMB leader Bangla Bhai, Shahadat took part in the operations under the banner of Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh in Rajshahi region in 2004, police said. He became the president of Gomostapur upazila unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir when he was a madrasa student in the upazila under Chapainawabganj district around 10 years ago, locals and family sources said. Son of Abdul Mabud, a retired health assistant of the Department of Health, Shahadat started living at Hamirkutsa village of Bagmara after marrying a woman named Asma there. Sources said Shahadat was known as Abdur Rahim in areas away from his Nimtola Kanthal village home in Gomostapur. He was arrested as an alleged militant activist of JMJB and was in jail for three months in 2004 when his family members and locals came to know of his militant activities, sources said. He went underground after the countrywide serial bomb blasts on August 17, 2005. He involved his brother-in-law Abdul Mumin of Koilar Diar village under Gomostapur upazila of the district in his new organisation Islam and Muslim and selected him a regional commander in Chapainawabganj district. Earlier Chapainawabganj police arrested four members of the JMB offshoot, namely, Abdul Mumin, Abdul Munib, Abdul Rakib alias Sumon and Rabiul Islam and seized four shotguns, bullets, bullet making materials and books on jihad from them. During a visit to Shahadat's village Nimtola Kanthal in Gomostapur on Monday, this correspondent found that his family remains detached from other families of the village. Shahadat's brother Niamot Ali said Shahadat was president of Gomostapur upazila unit of Islami Islami Chhatra Shibir when he was a student of Proshadpur Dakhil Madrasa. Niamot, however, said none of their family members is involved with JMB. After the series bomb blasts in August 2005, Shahadat came to Chapainawabganj district several times to regroup and activate the JMB members and recruit women members in the organisation, police said. A good number of activists went into hiding after the arrest of several members of 'Islam and Muslim' and their leader Shahadat, sources said.