Anniversary of Aug 17 serial bombings today

UNB, Dhaka

Today (Monday) is the 4th year of the black episode of August 17 countrywide serial bombings that virtually heralded the presence of banned militant outfit of Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
The synchronizing bombings rocked the international media and conscience as well as gave a wake up call to the Bangladesh government about the active emergence of the Islamic militants.
The JMB's deadly terror campaigns for establishing Shari'a laws. This not only triggered concern and condemnation at home and abroad but also posed a threat to democratic dispensation as well as Islam as a religion of peace.
The JMB militants carried out the simultaneous bomb attacks mainly at courts and government institutions in 63 district headquarters in the morning of August 17, 2005, leaving three people dead and hundreds more wounded.
Later, the JMB suicide squads killed judges, lawyers, police, cultural activists and common people in Jhalkati, Gazipur, Netrokona, Chittagong and other places in the same year.
After the Aug 17 serial bombings, police and RAB started massive haunts to nab JMB militants. They so far arrested over 1000 suspected militants, including seven members of Mujlish-e-Sura, the highest policy making body of JMB.
Commenting on the present situation of militancy, DG RAB Hasan Mahmud Khandaker told UNB that the situation is completely under control of the law enforcing agencies. "We think militancy is under the control of the law enforcers to a large extent."