Pro-Government Militias

Pro-Government Militia Website

Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB) (Bangladesh)

Basic Group Information

Name assigned by coder: no
PGM ID Number: 181
Country: Bangladesh
Date formed: Jan. 1, 2004
    Accuracy of date formed: year
Details of Formation: JMJB existed as a group since 1998. The first activity was reported on April 1, 2004. It is possible that there were operations since the political party BNP (Bangladesh Nationalist Party) to which JMJB is connected was elected in 2001.
Date dissolved: Feb. 23, 2005
    Accuracy of date dissolved: day
Details of Termination: The government banned JMJB on 23 February 2005 who classified the group as terrorist organisation (Wikipedia) because of its excessive violence and attacks on NGOs. In the following years many members were arrested and some executed. Late 2005 the group killed two judges and by 2008 the group was actively threatening advisers of the caretaker government (South Asia Terrorism Portal).
Termination Type(s): government defects

Former and Successor Group Information

Predecessor group(s): none
Successor group(s): none
Private Military Company? no
Former Group? yes
    Former Armed Group? yes
Former Rebel Group? no
    Former Rebel Group UCDP ID: none
PGM Becomes Rebel Group? no
    Successor Rebel Group UCDP ID: none

Government Relation, Support, and Training

Government Relation: informal (type 1)
Created by the Government?: no
    Main Creating Government Institution: none
Government Link(s): political party
    If link to party, name of party: Bangladesh Nationalist Party
Training and Equipment: no information
Shared Information and Joint Operations: yes
Shared Personnel: no information
Type(s) of Material Support: foreign support
State Sponsor(s): none
Other Connection(s):

Group Characteristics

Membership: religious
Primary Membership: religious
Alternative Primary Membership: no information
Location: Northwest, border with India
Force Strength: [10000, 300000]
Target(s): criminals; unarmed political opposition, government critics; rebels, insurgents, or other armed group; religious group
Purpose(s): intimidation of ethnic/religious groups; fight insurgents

Ethnic Characteristics

Ethnic Target(s): none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Targeting: not applicable
Ethnic Membership: none
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Membership: not applicable
Ethnic Purpose: Bengali Hindus (Bangladesh); Muslims (Bangladesh); Tribal-Buddhists (Bangladesh)
    Quality of Information for Ethnic Purpose: given

Other Information

Other Information: JMJB attacked communist insurgents with support of government actors (Wikipedia). JMJB seems to be an offspring from Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which is another Islamist militant organization that was banned by the government on the same day. There seems to be some personnel overlapping but it is unclear how close the two groups had been working together.

New Variables from Meta-Analysis

Purpose

Purpose: JMJB seeks to neutralize left-wing guerilla groups (especially the PBCP), which seems to be the main reason government members aligned with the group (Wikipedia). Another purpose of the group was to intimidate ethnic or religious groups by committing harsh actions to enforce Islamic law, often in the frame of political violence.
Relative Benefit(s) of PGM Use deniability of violence

Treatment of Civilians

Treatment of Civilians: News sources report violent actions, including killing and disappearances, against religious minorities and moderate Muslims, with the government and police not intervening.
Type(s) of Violence against Civilians: kidnapping/abductions; killing

Reasons for Membership

PGM Members Coerced? yes
PGM Members Paid? no information
Reasons for Membership: Some members were villagers that had been forced to join (South Asia Terrorism Portal). Most members seem to be motivated for religious reasons.
PGM Members Killed? rarely

PGM Size

Size: The group had allegedly 10,000 full-time and 100,000 part-time activists. The leader of the group claimed that JMJB had 300,000 activists (South Asia Terrorism Portal). A news source of 2005 estimates the group to have 10,000 members.

Weapons and Training

Weapons and Training: JMJB cadres used firearms, swords, other sharp weapons, hammers, hockey sticks and crude explosives (South Asia Terrorism Portal).

Organisation

Organisation: The group had links to members of the Bangladesh National Party (BNP) and sections of the police (South Asia Terrorism Portal). A news source reports that police assured it can control the group because they had no independent role.

Reference(s) for Meta-Analysis

South Asia Terrorism Portal. “Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh (JMJB).” http://www.satp.org/satporgtp/countries/bangladesh/terroristoutfits/JMJB.htm

Wikipedia. “Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh“. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jagrata_Muslim_Janata_Bangladesh&oldid=741891212

Evidence