Bangladeshi terror group operates despite ban

DHAKA - Banned Islamist outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) receives five million takas ($72,254) from domestic and foreign sources every month to run its operations, a media report said Wednesday.

A person called Mamun, who was involved in a fake currency racket in India, had been donating 50,000 takas ($722) every month to JMB fund until he was arrested, The Daily Star newspaper said quoting official sources.

The group’s activities have been on the wane following the arrest of its top brass, including its chief Moulana Saidur Rahman. But officials involved in the anti-militancy drive believe its network of financial support is still intact.

Around 3,000 JMB supporters living in Australia, Britain, Italy, Canada, Malaysia and in middle-east countries send in funds, according to a statement made to the investigators by Saidur Rahman. The daily said it had obtained a copy of the statement.

The supporters send cash to their families through friends and relatives and a portion of the money goes to JMB fund.

JMB was one of the militant outfits banned in 2005 by Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s government after protests at home and threats of economic sanctions by the US, demanding curbing of activities of Islamist militant groups.