Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday took to Twitter to laud the Assam police for cracking down on several modules of the Bangladesh-based terror group Ansar-ul Bangla Team. He informed that the Assam police have, as of now, arrested a total of 16 terrorists from the organisation.
The ABT is an Islamic terror outfit with links to Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). Though it emerged in 2007 in Bangladesh as Jamaatul Muslemin, the group rebranded itself as ABT in 2013.
The CM Tweeted, “In a long-drawn Operation @assampolice has cracked down on several modules of Ansarul Bangla Team / Al-Qaida Indian Subcontinent in Assam. It’s a huge intelligence success and a true example of courage and dedication of Assam Police. Total arrests so far -16.”
In a long-drawn Operation @assampolice has cracked down on several modules of Ansarul Bangla Team /
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) April 25, 2022
Al-Qaida Indian Subcontinent in Assam . It’s a huge intelligence success and a true example of courage and dedication of Assam Police. Total Arrests so far -16
On April 18, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had expressed confidence that the Jehadi network would be eliminated in his state. Sarma said, “There is information about Jehadis and we are working on it. We are getting intelligence input from the Centre. The jihadi network will be dismantled.”
Notably, on April 15, the police in the Barpeta district in lower Assam arrested six persons allegedly affiliated with Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a Bangladesh-based terror outfit with links to Al Qaeda. All six, who are residents of the Barpeta district in Assam have been booked under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
This was not the first arrest of its kind in Barpeta. In March, authorities in the district detained a Bangladeshi national named Saiful Islam (also known as Mohammed Suman and Harun Rashid) and four other people with ties to ABT.
Following the arrests in March, the case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). After taking charge, NIA filed an FIR against Saiful Islam and four others under sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 121 (waging or attempting to wage war against the government of India), 121A (conspiracy to commit offences punishable under 121), sections 17 (raising funds for the terrorist act), 18 (recruitment for the commission of terrorist act), 18B (punishment for 18), 19 (punishment for harbouring), 20 (punishment for being members of a terrorist organisation) and sections of Passport Act and Foreigners Act for illegal entry to India and failing to produce a passport.
During the investigation, it was discovered that Saiful Islam, a Bangladeshi national, had illegally entered India and was working as an Arabic language teacher at the Dhakalipara masjid (mosque) in Barpeta.
According to authorities, Islam effectively indoctrinated and inspired the four others to join the ABT module with the goal of developing Barpeta district as a base for ‘jehadi’ work and illegal activities of Al-Qaida and its linked organisations.
The two sets of arrests are linked, the Barpeta superintendent of police Amitava Sinha had stated. “They have been indoctrinating and radicalising people here,” the SP said, adding that one of them was part of the notorious Islamic outfit Popular Front of India (PFI), which the central government is mulling banning any time soon.
