BANGLADESH CAPTURES TERROR LEADERS

UNCLAS DHAKA 002440 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PTER KISL KCRM BG SUBJECT: BANGLADESH CAPTURES TERROR LEADERS ¶1. (SBU) BDG security forces have captured Khaled Saifullah and Salauddin, (who goes by only one name),the remaining two members of Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB) terrorist group's seven man Majlish-i-Shura or ruling council. According to media reports, Khaled Saifullah was captured on April 26 in Demra, in a suburb of Dhaka, and Salauddin was captured on April 25 in Chittagong. Both were apprehended by the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB),which had conducted several raids in the past week searching for these two remaining JMB terrorist leaders. ¶2. (SBU) Shortly after news of the capture, Home Minister Luttfuzzoman Babar interrupted his trip in China to call embassy and inform us of the capture of the JMB council members. ¶3. (SBU) In separate raids on April 25, BDG security forces captured two lower level JMB militants and seized bombmaking materials near Narayanganj, located 20 kilometers south-west of Dhaka, according to media reports. Security forces told embassy that with the seven divisional commanders captured, they plan to go after district level commanders next. ¶4. (SBU) The BDG has actively sought JMB's seven ruling council members since shortly after the August 17, 2005 bombings, in which 500 bombs were exploded nearly simultaneously all over Bangladesh. The ruling council divided up responsibility for terrorism activities by each of the seven divisions of Bangladesh. Authorites made their first major arrest last December, capturing Ataur Rahman Sunny, responsible for south Dhaka. Other leaders arrested during the last few months are: Abdul Awal, responsible for the Rajshahi division, Hafez Mahmud responsible for the Khulna and Barisal divisions, Siddiqul Rahman(aka Bangla Bhai),responsible for the Chittagong Division, and JMB Chief Sheikh Abdur Rahman. BUTENIS