IN RURAL BANGLADESH, WHERE HAVE THE TERRORISTS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 DHAKA 000348 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT PASS TO SCA/PB, S/CT USAID FOR ANE AND CMM, A COURTNEY AND C RUNYAN E.O. 12958: DECL: 03/19/2018 TAGS: CT PINR PTER BG SUBJECT: IN RURAL BANGLADESH, WHERE HAVE THE TERRORISTS GONE? Classified By: CDA a.i. Geeta Pasi. Reasons: 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: Islamic terrorists are visible no longer in a corner of western Bangladesh, where they initially were embraced as effective vigilantes against violent leftist gangs that preyed upon rural communities. The vehemence with which local people now denounce the Islamic extremists suggests that whatever support they once had was based not on ideology but on the lack of effective policing. USG support for enhanced Bangladesh law enforcement, including the paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion, should help ensure that those terrorist groups do not reemerge. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) Bagmara upazila (county) is in the northeast corner of Rajshahi district, which abuts Bangladesh's border with India along the Padma (Ganges) River. Bagmara shimmers with verdant rice fields that are speckled with tan-colored, mud-walled homes of local peasants. Village markets burst with colors, offering the reds of chilis, the oranges of carrots, the greens of huge heads of cabbage and the purple of onions, which fill the air with their faintly sweet smell. It is a pastoral scene not unlike those found elsewhere in rural Bangladesh, yet it belies the region's reputation as a hotbed of extremist violence. Leftist politics has a long history in Rajshahi, and Bagmara has been particularly attractive to radicals because of its isolation -- it is accessible only by narrow, poorly maintained roads -- and light police presence. During a recent visit to the upazila, a USG team investigating vulnerability to extremism easily found people with harrowing stories of murders committed in broad daylight, often in front of horrified crowds. ¶3. (C) In particular, the Sarbohara group of militant leftists became notorious for preying upon the population in recent years. Among its victims was Golam Rabbani, the former chairman of Shuvodanga Union. His wife, Mafuza Parvin Sima, recounted the day in January 2000 when a gang attacked him as he returned home from the market, dragged him away and killed him. She said the attackers were led by a man who formerly held the union chairman position and wanted his job back. Sarbohara acted with impunity, she said, and murdered up to 15 people in Shuvodanga. Ultimately the people turned to the Islamic terrorist organization Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB) and its notorious leader Bangla Bhai for protection. Although some local women wore hijab at the request of the JMB leader, they said it was a sign of appreciation for the protection and not an indication they supported the group's strict vision of Islam. In any event, support for JMB quickly dwindled as it began to indiscriminately attack the locals, including some who were widely perceived to be falsely accused of belonging to Sarbohara. ¶4. (C) In nearby Taherpur municipality of Bagmara the USG team spoke to the brother of a man assassinated by JMB militants after being accused of belonging to Sarbohara. Golam Mustafa Bablu recounted how on April 14, 2004, his brother Golam Rabbabi Mukul was savagely beaten by the JMB in front of intimidated police and a few thousand villagers. JMB thugs refused to let people leave while the man was tortured; many in the crowd cried and fainted as they listened to the victim's anguished screams. Eventually, JMB handed their victim to the police who rushed him to a hospital where he soon died from his injuries, according to the brother. ¶5. (C) A year later in 2005, the JMB launched a wave of bombings and suicide attacks throughout Bangladesh that led to a crackdown by the newly formed paramilitary Rapid Action Battalion (RAB). According to the RAB, it arrested 450 suspected JMB members as of July 29, 2007, many of whom remain in custody in Rajshahi. Among those caught were six leaders, including Bangla Bhai, who were executed in March 2007, appearing to leave the organization rudderless. Senior police officials in Rajshahi and neighboring Natore districts said they were confident the JMB had been smashed, adding that while their own resources remained meagre the RAB had proved an effective force against extremists.Throughout Bagmara and elsewhere in the region, community members showed no reluctance in expressing their disdain for the JMB, which they emphasized had no support among the populace. Many echoed the sentiment of Golam Mustafa Bablu, who said:"The JMB might come again, but if they do, people will not accept them. We have confidence in the police now." DHAKA 00000348 002 OF 002 ¶6. (C) In Bagmara, the group that causes continued concern is Sarbohara, which remains active underground. Golam Rahman, brother of the former union chairman killed by Sarbohara, said the group's local cell holds clandestine meetings and plans to kill him for his continuing criticism. He said every ward in the union has a Sarbohara cell; he estimated about a dozen members operate in his ward. As a high school chairman and mosque president, Golam Rahman is a man of substance. He lives in a courtyard home with electricity; his bedroom has a large bed with a cassette player nearby and is decorated with a poster of Salman Khan, a buff Bollywood star. In the courtyard is a motorcycle and small army of squawking chickens. Yet despite his local prominence, he is not relying on police in the face of the Sarbohara threat. "The police can't protect me," he said. "Only Allah can save me." ¶7. (C) Comment: Golam Rahman's comments suggest that for all the progress made in expunging violent groups from Bagmara and the surrounding region, the war against extremism is hardly over. The USG can help Bangladesh ensure that radical groups do not regain a foothold by providing assistance to innovative law enforcement, such as the community policing programs taking root, and to the Rapid Action Battalion. The USG assessment team's report on Bangladesh's vulnerability to extremism will provide an important base for specific Post proposals on how to further promote Mission counterterrorism goals through enhanced support of law enforcement organizations. Pasi