Bangla squads to deal with aftermath of death verdict

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Bangla squads to deal with aftermath of death verdict

Dhaka, May 30 (IANS) A day after a Bangladesh court sentenced seven Islamist militants to death for the killing of two judges, the government said it had formed dedicated squads to thwart any retaliatory attacks by the proscribed Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar said teams with people from different law-enforcing and intelligence agencies had been formed.

These would also be assigned with special tasks 'to find out financial sources of the militants and see if they are trying to reorganise', Babar was quoted by Bangladesh Today as saying.

He said the government had identified several financiers backing the militants. 'We've already stopped the activities of two organisations. As per recommendations of an expert committee, we've asked another (foreign) organisation to leave the country.'

He told reporters that the government had yet to establish any foreign links that the militants' body might have.

The Barisal court that had Monday delivered the death sentence on seven militants for killing two judges had not commented on allegations that they had links with politicians in the ruling alliance, Babar was quoted as saying.

Two senior assistant judges -- Jagannath Pandey and Sohel Ahmed -- were killed in a bomb attack on their car at Purba Chadkati in the Jhalakati town on Nov 14, 2005, in the wake of a spurt in violent militant operations across the country.

Families of the two judges have demanded quick execution of the seven convicts, the Daily Star said.

Judge Jagannath Pandey's wife Pallabi Jyoti attended office in Barisal as usual and did not go to the court to hear the judgement because she said the sight of the 'hyena' made her panic.

'The killers must be hanged in public to show that no murderer is above law,' she said after the verdict, demanding its immediate execution. 'We'll never be able to overcome the loss. We'll get at least some consolation if the judgement is executed as early as possible.'

She also demanded that the people who patronised and provided funds to the JMB should also be brought to trial.

Asking the government to ensure that the convicts are hanged, Sohel Ahmed's wife Kanta said: 'I appeal to the government to prevent recurrence of the Jhalakathi tragedy anywhere in the country.'

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Bangla squads to deal with aftermath of death verdict