'DGFI wanted extremists in mainstream politics'

The military's spy agency, the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), supported extremist outfit Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami, Bangladesh (HUJI-B) forming a new political party, exposes the Wikileaks documents.

According to the cables sent by the US embassy in Dhaka, DGFI made the attempt to float Islamic Democratic Party right before the 2008 general elections.

But the US embassy strongly opposed the creation of the IDP, fearing that the party may respond with violence possibly against US mission or interests.

It believed HUJI-B is pursuing the creation of a political wing to improve its ability to support and carry out terrorist activity.

It quoted the National Security Intelligence (NSI) airing concern in a late-September assessment that the party's creation would free extremists to pursue extremist activity under the cover of a moderate front organisation.