Iraq 101: The Iraq Effect - The War in Iraq and Its Impact on the War on Terrorism - Pg. 1

Islamic terror outfit Hizbut Towhid (HuT), which was established in Bangladesh’s Tangail district under the leadership of Mr. Bayeejid Khan Ponni aka Selim Ponni has secretly established its branch in a number of countries in recent years with the aim of establishing branches of this ultra religious terrorist group in those countries.

HuT head office is located in Bangladesh’s capital Dhaka at At House No. 4, road no. 18, sector no. 7, Uttara. Kingpin of this notorious group Mohammad Bayezid Khan Ponni aka Selim Ponni, claims himself to be 'imam-uz-zaman', by placing him just behind the. Bayezid Ponni although operates HuT from his Uttara residence, there are now a number of branches of this notorious militancy group in a number of places in the Capital as well as other parts of the country. At Dhaka's New Eskaton Road area, Selim Clinic, which is located at the ground floor of a 4-storied building. Meanwhile, this group has extended its activities within Barisal, Feni, Kushtia, Madaripur, Tangail, Gazipur, Meherpur, Jhenidah, Noakhali, Khulna, Chittagong and Narshingdi districts under the patronization of its active members and donors. Funds of this group is collected in the name of 'Zakat' (Islamic donation).

The HuT chief, who left Bangladesh after the independence and returned in the '80s, published a book titled "This Islam is not at all Islam" in March 1996, which the government banned on May 10, 1998. He also wrote another book named 'Dazzal', where he said that Jews and Christians are the evils who should be eliminated by the Muslims. Besides, there are several leaflets and booklets on the HuT ideologies and objective. Followers of HuT do not believe in democracy and traditional government system. HuT activists use iron hammer and tobacco dust when they attack.

Mohammad Bayezid Khan Ponni aka Selim Ponni terms working women as and women in politics as 'prostitutes' and gives his own 'Islamic Code' for men to marry any number of wives. His interpretation is, “women are created only for sexual pleasure of men and this is their only task”.

He projects Jews and Christians as true evils and preaches killing them or raping female members of Jewish and Christian societies as “divine task”. He also teaches his followers to wage any type of offensives on the West.

Bayejid Panni considers secularist forces as enemies of Islam and encourages his followers in killing seculars for “buying heaven”. In his interpretation, Jamaatul Mujahedin Bangladesh (JMB) and other Islamist militancy groups are “sacred forces of Allah” and he terms Shaikh Abdur Rahman as the “Hero of Allah”.

For the last few years Hizb Ut Towhid has been carrying out secret operations in the name of 'dawat' in different parts of the country, especially in the southern region. In some cases Bangladeshi law enforcing agencies also arrested some activists of different Islamic organizations during their suspicious activities. (Source The Daily Star).

The international Head Quarters of Hizbut Towhid although is located in Dhaka (Bangladesh), the group has established a huge office at Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur, where a Bangladeshi terrorist named Tanzil Chowdhury is given the responsibility of liaising with other terror groups like Al Qaida from Kuala Lumpur and collect fund for this organization from international donors.

Hizbut Towhid purchased a luxurious apartment in the name of Tanzil Chowdhury at Apartment no. A-8-5, 1 Desa Residence, Taman Desa, Kuala Lumpur 58100, Malaysia.

Hizbut Towhid purchased this apartment in the name of Tanzil Chowdhury, two years back at the cost of US$ 3 hundred thousand. They also purchased a Mercedez Benz and a Hammer Jeep for the Malaysia office of HuT.

Tanzil Chowdhury was a pimp of Tareq Rahman, Gias Uddin Al Mamun and many others in Hawa Bhaban. Mamun established a car sales center at Dhaka’s Kala Bagan area named ‘Trenz’, where Tanzil was given the responsibility as the manager. During this time, Tanzil Chowdhury came into contact with Hizbut Towhid (HuT).

Moreover, Hawa Bhaban men established a ‘Comfort House’ at Dhaka’s Uttara area which was operated by Tanzil Chowdhury and his wife named Sigma. Gias Uddin Al Mamun, Tareq Rahman, Opu Siraj, Harris Chowdhury and many other Hawa Bhaban men were regularly visiting this house spending hours with hired women or Tanzil’s wife Sigma. This ‘Comfort House’ at Uttara became one of the secret but most effective ‘Tadbir’ (lobbying) center during BNP rule.

When caretaker government came in power, Tanzil fled the country along with his wife. Meantime, using his previous contact with Hizbut Towhid, Tanzil managed to get their support in opening a huge branch of this group in Kuala Lumpur. Through this branch, every year, a couple of millions of dollars is collected for Hizbut Towhid.

Tanzil also is doing manpower and ‘Hawala’ (money laundering) business in Kuala Lumpur. Most of the fleeing BNP or Hawa Bhaban men are seen at the above mentioned apartment at Taman Desa during late hours. Chowdhury is helping Bangladeshi and Pakistani terrorist groups in sending their fugitive members to Malaysia in the name of workers.

It is even learnt that, Al Qaida’s threat fax to American Embassy and other embassies in Bangladesh was originated from this house of Tanzil Chowdhury.

Tanzil Chowdhury is also involved in various types of criminal activities. In Bangladesh Tanzil was continuing fraudulent activities with the help of his wife as well he was maintaining close relations with local terrorist groups. He was a close friend of ‘Pichchi Hannan’, a ferocious terrorist in Bangladesh.