Four rival outlawed parties and groups in four southwestern districts have closed ranks and are regrouping, sources said. Leaders of Bipplobi Communist Party (BCP), Gono Bahini (GB), Gono Mukti Fouz (GMF) and recently floated Mukti Bahini led by notorious criminal Mukti, held several meetings in Kushtia and Chuadanga in last 20 days, intelligence sources said. Outlaws belonging to the parties are active in Kushtia, Jhenidah, Chuadanga and Meherpur. Leaders from the four districts attended the meetings.The meetings decided to sink differences on issues like supremacy in their respective areas, local leadership and toll collection. This correspondent also contacted some leaders who talked from their hideouts. There is no 'war' between them now, they said.
Sources said, the first meeting was held at Udaypur village in Kushtia on July 30. Top leaders of outlawed parties attended the meeting. They included GB's second-in-command Mandar, BCP's Bakhtiar, GMF's Choto Mukul and Mukti chief of Mukti Bahini, the sources said. A good number of regional leaders also took part in the meeting. They included Liton, Keramat and Chatur of GB; Kalimuddin and Mamtu of Mukti Bahini; Icha, Faraz, and Rofez of GMF and Keti, Uzzal, Danesh and Biru of BCP.
Outlaws belonging to different parties usually had rivalry over toll collection from businessmen and rich farmers in the areas. They often clashed over establishing supremacy in the respective areas, which led to murders. Some intelligence sources however claimed that they have sank differences and are trying to regroup to save themselves.
| According to official sources, at least 150 outlaws including some 'regional leaders' were killed in 'crossfire' with police and Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) in the four districts in three years since June 2004. |
At least 500 cadres belonging to 14 outlawed parties are active in the southwestern region. Police said they are aware of the meetings and have increased their vigilance in some areas of Sadr upazilas of in Kushtia and Jhenidah.
Police in a a raid arrested two top cadres of outlawed GMF and BCP from Khezurtala village in Kushtia Sadar upazila on August 1. The raid was done acting on a tip-ff that some leaders of two former rival outlawed parties were holding a secret meeting there. Later, the arrested cadres--Basir Ahmed and Zamarat Hossain--were killed in 'crossfire' on the same night after police took them to Khejurtatala village to retrieve firearms.
| Wotta shame. Don'tcha hate it when that happens? |
According to different law enforcing agencies, outlaws are trying to capture some water big bodies including Nandia, Uzangram and Chypaygachi in the districts. They earlier fled from the areas following tougher action by law enforcing agencies.