Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh, [transl. Jihad movement of Islam of Bangladesh] is the Bangladeshi branch of the terrorist group Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI). It is banned in Bangladesh[1] and is a Proscribed Organisation in the United Kingdom under the Terrorism Act 2000.[2]
HuJI also played an instrumental role in the founding of the Indian Mujahideen terrorist group and had been involved with its earlier incarnation, Asif Reza Commando Force.[3]
The founder of the group was Maulana Abdus Salam. Other well known leaders include Shaikhul Hadith Allama and Azizul Haque, who was the chairman of the political party Islami Oikya Jote. Muhammad Habibur Rahman (alias Bulbuli Huzur) was a leader of the HuJI and initially a leader of Bangladesh Khelafat Majlish. The principal of Lalkhan Madrasa in Chittagong, Mufti Izharul Islam Chowdhury, was also a leader of the HuJI.[4]
Mufti Abdul Hannan is the current leader of the Bangladeshi branch of the HuJI. He is currently incarcerated, convicted of various terrorism charges and has been sentenced to death.[5] He is charged in 25 criminal cases involving terrorism.[6]
Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islam (HuJI) was founded in 1984 during the Soviet–Afghan War.[7] HuJI Bangladesh was founded on 30 April 1992 in the Bangladesh National Press Club by Bangladeshi mujahideen veterans of the Soviet–Afghan War. The founder of the group was Maulana Abdus Salam.[4]
Since its founding, the group has been responsible for the deaths of over 100 people in various terrorist attacks.[8] The group has been known to support the Rohingya insurgency in Western Myanmar.[9] It allegedly has ties with the Rohingya Solidarity Organisation (RSO) and the Arakan Rohingya National Organisation (ARNO).[7]