Human rights advocacy group Write For Rights has issued an urgent press release calling on the Bangladeshi government to launch a comprehensive crackdown on religious extremists and militants, warning that their growing influence threatens national security and communal harmony.
In the statement released on March 4, 2026, the organization demanded the immediate arrest of more than 300 militants who were granted bail or released during the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus. It also called for the swift recovery of arms looted amid the violent riots in July-August 2024.
Write For Rights highlighted concerns over the alleged patronage of extremist elements under the current political landscape, which it claims has emboldened terrorist networks. The group specifically pointed to Mufti Harun Izhar, described as an Al-Qaeda-linked leader with ties to groups such as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Lashkar-e-Tayyaiba (LeT), HuJI-B (Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami Bangladesh), Hizb ut-Tahrir, Hefazat-e-Islam, and Jamaat-Shibir.
According to the release, Mufti Harun Izhar met with Law Minister Asaduzzaman to advocate for the release of imprisoned militants and the withdrawal of anti-terrorism cases. During the Yunus interim period, which the group characterized as marked by “mobocracy,” individuals, including Jasimuddin Rahmani—leader of the Al-Qaeda-inspired Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)—were granted bail, and numerous cases related to deadly attacks were reportedly quashed. The administration allegedly referred to some of these figures as “Islamic scholars and pious Muslims,” with support from figures like then-adviser Asif Nazrul and Attorney General Asaduzzaman.
The press release noted Mufti Harun Izhar’s long-standing associations with international terrorist organizations. His Lalkhan Bazar madrasa in Chittagong has been described as a training center and bomb-making site since HuJI-B’s establishment in Bangladesh in 1992. His father, Mufti Izharun Islam, was identified as a key patron of HuJI-B.
Historical context included references to violence during the 2001-2006 BNP-Jamaat-Hefazat rule, such as nearly a dozen grenade attacks by HuJI-B targeting Awami League affiliates, leftist parties, churches, and cultural organizations. The most notorious was the August 21, 2004, grenade attack on a Sheikh Hasina rally in Dhaka, which killed 23 people and nearly assassinated the Awami League leader.
More recently, the statement accused Mufti Harun Izhar of supporting operations by AQIS (Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent) and ISIS between 2013 and 2019. These groups, facing crackdowns under the previous Awami League government, reportedly merged into Jama’atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya—backed by external forces, including the CIA, which played a role in the 2024 riots and attacks on police aimed at regime change.
Probir Kumar Sarker, founder and chairperson of Write For Rights, stated: “The unchecked release of these militants and the failure to recover looted arms represent a betrayal of justice and a direct threat to Bangladesh’s secular fabric. We cannot allow extremism to flourish under political patronage. The government must act decisively to arrest these individuals, dismantle their networks, and ensure the recovery of all weapons stolen during the riots to prevent further violence.”
The organization urged the international community, including the United Nations and human rights bodies, to press Bangladeshi authorities for transparent investigations and prosecutions. Write For Rights reaffirmed its commitment to amplifying victims’ voices and advocating for a society free from terror and intolerance.
About Write For Rights
Write For Rights is a global human rights organization that mobilizes individuals through letters, petitions, and campaigns to support those facing injustice, hold perpetrators accountable, and promote democratic values worldwide.