Justin Joseph
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Militants still obtaining Bangladeshi passports
Monday, April 19, 2010
Shariful Islam
Local and foreign militants are still suspected to have been obtaining Bangladeshi passports using false information to leave the country to escape or have training and take part in 'Jihad'.
Law enforcers investigating the matter say their suspicion became firm after learning that a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative left Bangladesh either for Singapore or India using a Bangladeshi passport.
A team of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized the Pakistani passport of JeM operative Mohammad Jawad from an apartment near New Market in the capital last month. Another Pakistani national Rezwan Ahmed who admitted to have coordinated JeM activities in Bangladesh was arrested with four locals during the hunt.
"On Jawad's passport his name and address are inscribed as Mohammad Jawad, Karachi, Pakistan. Immigration police at Shahjalal International Airport allowed him to enter Bangladesh on August 22 last year," says a top Rab official.
Earlier, several local and foreign militants, especially operatives of banned outfit Harkatul Jihad-al Islami (Huji), Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, managed Bangladeshi passports using false information.
Even the names of the agents of a Pakistani intelligence agency came to light from the statements of some foreign militants arrested in Bangladesh.
"Our investigations into different grenade attacks also reveal similar findings," says an official of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which has already seized fake passports of Huji activists Arif Hasan Sumon from his house.
Sources say brokers at the Department of Passport and Immigration (DPI) in connivance with a section of corrupt officials help anyone get a passport under fake name and address.
Allegations are rife that a section of corrupt policemen tasked to verify information of the passport seekers give false report upon receiving bribe.
Law enforcers say militants or criminals often apply for instant passports which are issued in 24 hours without prior police verification. "They usually leave the country by the time police verification is conducted," comments a top Detective Branch official.
Cancellation of those passports does not bring any result then, he adds.
Director General of DIP Abdul Mabud said they have to cancel a good number of passports taken on instant basis every month as the passport seekers use false info.
He admitted that brokers are still active but expressed the hope that all anomalies will be removed when they start issuing machine readable passports.
Although there is a rule that all passport seekers must be present before the officials concerned at the passport offices, a different situation was learned during conversation with a broker at the Agargaon passport office.
"You don't need to be present. I can manage you an instant passport for you. But you'll be charged additional Tk 2,000 for that," broker Asadul said as this corresponded posed as a passport seeker.
The broker ruled out a cut in the amount saying he would have to pay a big share to the officials concerned. "Sir, tell him if I'm right or wrong," he asked a policeman standing near to substantiate his claim.
Earlier, arrested LeT leaders Mufti Obaidullah and Moulana Monsur Ali managed Bangladeshi passports. Obaidullah said during interrogation that he met top Huji leader Mufti Abdul Hannan to arrange passport for Indian "mujahideens".
A number of such militants later went to Pakistan using Bangladeshi passports to receive training.
Huji operative Anisul Mursalin, now detained in India, said he had obtained at least two Bangladeshi passports. An ISI agent named Rahim alias Karim assisted him in getting one, he said.
"After Mufti Hannan was arrested in October 2005, me as Javed Hasan [father: Enamul Hasan, Dhankandi, Comilla, Bangladesh] and my brother Mahbubul Muttakin [as Munaver Hasan, father: Manzul Hasan, Kishanpura, Chandina, Comilla] obtained Bangladeshi passports and entered India," according to Mursalin's statement given to the Indian police.
The Daily Star has managed a copy of that statement from a local source.
The brothers were arrested in 2006 with two firearms and 3kg high-powered explosives RDX in Delhi. They are accused in the case for the August 21, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka.
Militants still obtaining Bangladeshi passports
Monday, April 19, 2010
Shariful Islam
Local and foreign militants are still suspected to have been obtaining Bangladeshi passports using false information to leave the country to escape or have training and take part in 'Jihad'.
Law enforcers investigating the matter say their suspicion became firm after learning that a suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative left Bangladesh either for Singapore or India using a Bangladeshi passport.
A team of Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) seized the Pakistani passport of JeM operative Mohammad Jawad from an apartment near New Market in the capital last month. Another Pakistani national Rezwan Ahmed who admitted to have coordinated JeM activities in Bangladesh was arrested with four locals during the hunt.
"On Jawad's passport his name and address are inscribed as Mohammad Jawad, Karachi, Pakistan. Immigration police at Shahjalal International Airport allowed him to enter Bangladesh on August 22 last year," says a top Rab official.
Earlier, several local and foreign militants, especially operatives of banned outfit Harkatul Jihad-al Islami (Huji), Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba, managed Bangladeshi passports using false information.
Even the names of the agents of a Pakistani intelligence agency came to light from the statements of some foreign militants arrested in Bangladesh.
"Our investigations into different grenade attacks also reveal similar findings," says an official of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), which has already seized fake passports of Huji activists Arif Hasan Sumon from his house.
Sources say brokers at the Department of Passport and Immigration (DPI) in connivance with a section of corrupt officials help anyone get a passport under fake name and address.
Allegations are rife that a section of corrupt policemen tasked to verify information of the passport seekers give false report upon receiving bribe.
Law enforcers say militants or criminals often apply for instant passports which are issued in 24 hours without prior police verification. "They usually leave the country by the time police verification is conducted," comments a top Detective Branch official.
Cancellation of those passports does not bring any result then, he adds.
Director General of DIP Abdul Mabud said they have to cancel a good number of passports taken on instant basis every month as the passport seekers use false info.
He admitted that brokers are still active but expressed the hope that all anomalies will be removed when they start issuing machine readable passports.
Although there is a rule that all passport seekers must be present before the officials concerned at the passport offices, a different situation was learned during conversation with a broker at the Agargaon passport office.
"You don't need to be present. I can manage you an instant passport for you. But you'll be charged additional Tk 2,000 for that," broker Asadul said as this corresponded posed as a passport seeker.
The broker ruled out a cut in the amount saying he would have to pay a big share to the officials concerned. "Sir, tell him if I'm right or wrong," he asked a policeman standing near to substantiate his claim.
Earlier, arrested LeT leaders Mufti Obaidullah and Moulana Monsur Ali managed Bangladeshi passports. Obaidullah said during interrogation that he met top Huji leader Mufti Abdul Hannan to arrange passport for Indian "mujahideens".
A number of such militants later went to Pakistan using Bangladeshi passports to receive training.
Huji operative Anisul Mursalin, now detained in India, said he had obtained at least two Bangladeshi passports. An ISI agent named Rahim alias Karim assisted him in getting one, he said.
"After Mufti Hannan was arrested in October 2005, me as Javed Hasan [father: Enamul Hasan, Dhankandi, Comilla, Bangladesh] and my brother Mahbubul Muttakin [as Munaver Hasan, father: Manzul Hasan, Kishanpura, Chandina, Comilla] obtained Bangladeshi passports and entered India," according to Mursalin's statement given to the Indian police.
The Daily Star has managed a copy of that statement from a local source.
The brothers were arrested in 2006 with two firearms and 3kg high-powered explosives RDX in Delhi. They are accused in the case for the August 21, 2004 grenade attack on an Awami League rally in Dhaka.
Militants still obtaining Bangladeshi passports
