A significant portion of the fund that the Islamic organizations in Bangladesh receive every year from foreign Islamic bodies is being used for the cause of Jihad.

The investigation, launched after the August 17 countrywide chain-bombing which killed 3 people and injured about 150 others, reveals that money is apparently being used for the cause of Jihad in the name of various religious activities like construction of mosques, madrassas (Muslim schools), orphanage centers and training of imams, The New Age reported Tuesday.

The investigators reportedly have already found proofs of the channeling of money to the Jihad fund.

An official of the Special Branch was quoted as saying that money is taken away from the funds received to spend for the cause of Jihad.

There are no statistics of the funds arriving in Bangladesh but sources in the non-government organization (NGO) Bureau estimated that the amount ranges from 4.0 billion taka to 5.0 billion taka (61.5 million to 76.9 million US dollars) per year.

Investigators say the money is used to enlarge and strengthen the militant Islamic groups like Jamaatul Mujahideen, Al Hikma and Alhe Hadith Andolon, by recruiting youths and motivating and training them to fight for turning Bangladesh into an Islamic state.

The Kuwait-based Revival of Islamic Heritage Society and Al Haraming (banned throughout the world) are the organizations which provide funds for the cause of Islamic revolution, they added.

Some 575 registered Islamic NGOs reportedly are now active all over the country with foreign funds coming from Libya, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Iran and Egypt. Funds also come from countries like India, Pakistan, the United Sates and the United Kingdom.

According to the investigators, there are 35 large Islamic NGOs, known as mother organizations, which usually give sub-contacts to the small NGOs or distribute funds among them.

Meanwhile, the law enforcers have launched a hunt for the suspected masterminds of the countrywide nearly simultaneous bomb blasts on Aug. 17.

The masterminds were named by the arrested persons, now being questioned in custody, and the law enforcers have prepared the list.

A highly placed source in the Joint Interrogation Cell said that so far a list with the names of 19 militants involved in the bomb blasts has been prepared and hunt is on to nab all of them. But most of them seem to have gone into hiding to escape arrest.

According to The Independent, the law enforcing agencies are taking all precautions especially in the six divisional headquarters following intelligence reports that hard core leaders and activists of different Islamic militant groups are preparing for mounting fresh bomb attacks.

A high-placed source was quoted as saying that intelligence agencies have already warned different shopping complexes, bus, train and launch terminals, private establishments and hospitals in the country of possible terror attacks.

Members of law enforcing agencies raided different residential hotels and slum areas in the divisional cities to arrest suspected Islamic militants after they came to know that hardline Islamists had taken shelter in slums and residential hotels.

Meanwhile, police arrested three persons from different parts of the country for their suspected links to Aug. 17 bombings. Police rounded up 303 suspects till Monday, including 206 alleged militants, in connection with the serial bombings.

A total of 43 detainees have been brought to Dhaka for grilling by the Joint Interrogation Cell.

Some detainees are learnt to have confessed to their involvement in the attacks saying that they carried out the attacks at the instruction of Islamic Jamaatul Mujahideen Bangladesh and left-extremist group the Janajudha (People's War).

Source: Xinhua