As part of its sustained efforts in “Operation Praghat” against Islamic extremists, the Special Task Force (STF) of the Assam Police has arrested another individual labelled as a “jihadi” in the Dhubri area, which borders Bangladesh. With this recent capture, the total number of arrests has reached 14. The authorities informed about the development on 21st January. The individual has been identfied as 31-year-old Ajibar Rahman from the Chinamari village which falls under the jurisdiction of the Bilasipara police station area in Dhubri district of Assam.
This is the second arrest this week, after the STF previously nabbed “most wanted” Jaheer Ali for having ties to the banned Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an Islamist group based in Bangladesh that is associated with Al-Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and engage in terrorist activities. He was caught from Khudigaon Pt.II hamlet in Dhubri district, during a coordinated operation. According to a Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) statement, the investigation thus far has revealed that the apprehended accused’s activities were planned to support and enhance the operational capacities of extremist outfits that intend to undermine the security and sovereignty of the nation.
It further read, “During the course of the investigation into the case against fundamentalists, STF arrested 14 jihadis or Islamic extremists so far, which include a Bangladeshi national. They were working under the direction of one Farhan Israk, a close associate of ABT chief Jasimuddin Rahmani.” Inspector general (IG) of STF, Partha Sarathi Mahanta informed, “Based on the inputs from intelligence agencies, we launched the operation last month, and a case was also registered. Under this, we have arrested several suspected jihadis (Islamic extremists).”
The operation remains in progress, he conveyed, noting that a significant quantity of weapons, explosives, ammunition, and various other materials were discovered during the arrests. “We have recovered various incriminating documents and mobile phones during our operation,” he highlighted.
Authorities launch “Operation Praghat” to bust sleeper cells, terrorist activities and more
Over the course of the last two months, authorities have caught a significant number of individuals from Assam and adjacent states as part of their “Operation Praghat” initiative aimed at combating Global Terrorist Organizations (GTO). Partha Sarathi Mahanta said that terrorist groups affiliated with the GTO sent a member from Bangladesh in November of last year to activate the sleeper cells in India, and he began his mission from Assam. Additionally, five individuals from Assam and one from Kerala was nabbed by the Assam STF in last December.
“The Bangladeshi national named Sad Radi was arrested from Kerala, and we arrested his supporters from both Assam and West Bengal,” he mentioned. To advance their sinister ideology among like-minded Indians nationwide, Farhan Israk sent Sad Radi also known as Shab Sheikh, a Bangladeshi national from Rajshahi to India in November. He was subsequently detained by the Kerala Special Task Force. At that time, the former was leading the sleeper cell members in activities related to terrorism.
He crossed into India over the border at Murshidabad and held a few meetings in Jalpaiguri and Falakata, Bengal to assemble cadres for his terror schemes. He traveled to West Bengal, Assam and Kerala during his recruitment drive. Before heading to Kerala to meet with other sleeper cell members, he moved to Assam and West Bengal to meet with members of the ABT organization. 17 to 18 continuous raids were conducted simultaneously in Assam to capture him.
Moreover, Nur Islam Mandal, Abdul Karim Mandal, Mojibar Rahman, Hamidul Islam and Enamul Hoque, were picked up from Assam while Minarul Sheikh and Abbas Ali were detained from West Bengal after intelligence inputs. “The STF, under the direct supervision of its chief Partha Sarathi Mahanta, launched the operation and teams were dispatched to various parts of the country to identify the jihadi elements. During simultaneous operations in Kerala, West Bengal and Assam, the arrests were made,” Assam Special Director General of Police (SDGP) Harmeet Singh pointed out. He added that five people were apprehended in Assam, two in West Bengal and another in Kerala.
The accused were found in possession of a number of documents and cell phones that show they had been in constant contact with organizations in Bangladesh and Pakistan over the previous few months. He reported, “Texts with distorted religious beliefs relating to jihad, religious books with distorted narratives, printed and published in Bangladesh, four pen drives and various Bangladeshi certificates issued in the name of Sad Radi were also seized from the accused.”
They were trying to set up sleeper cells all over the nation, but especially in West Bengal and Assam. Two of the men who were caught had traveled to various places in West Bengal in an effort to enlist more members of the terrorist groups. “These individuals were actively involved in the procurement of arms and ammunition, as a part of the larger conspiracy to wage war against the Indian government,” he disclosed.
It is important to note that a few months earlier, Jasimuddin Rahmani had been released by Bangladesh’s interim government after being imprisoned since August 2013.
Speaking about the underground operations of the terrorists and their strategy, a senior official stated that the module was establishing sleeper cells throughout the nation, especially in Assam and West Bengal, which was discovered after the probe. “These sleeper cells were intended to serve as covert operational units, poised for subversive and violent activities that would be initiated to disrupt peace and tranquillity, as well as cause destruction of life and property,” added the officer.
Abbas Sheikh and Minarul Sheikh were taken into custody from Hariharpara in Murshidabad. The two suspects were found to have phony documents, Islamic religious texts, a pen drive and four cell phones. “Manirul, a 48-year-old pump mechanic, was attempting to establish a small madrasa for 10-12 students. Abbas, 29, has a prior criminal record, having been arrested in a POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) and kidnapping case and released on bail after serving two years in jail,” Inspector-General of Police of STF Gaurav Sharma disclosed.
Additional Director General (South Bengal) Supratim Sarkar informed that during a raid in Murshidabad, STF Assam, partnering with West Bengal Police, detained Abbas and Minarul, who were among an eight-member group tracked down by the Bengal, Kerala and Assam police. “We have recovered a 16GB pen drive, some literature, and fake identity cards from the two suspects, identified as Abbas and Minarul Sheikh. We suspect they were part of a sleeper module aiming to create instability in sensitive areas of south and north Bengal, as well as in the seven sister states of the Northeast. They were setting up bases in Murshidabad and Alipurduar districts, with plans to eliminate prominent Hindu leaders in the eastern and northeastern regions and carry out attacks similar to the 2015 hacking of a blogger in Bangladesh,” he pointed out.
The authorities confirmed, “By exploiting local vulnerabilities, religious sentiments and fault lines, they aimed to create a network capable of operating under the radar while remaining loyal to the broader objectives of their organisation, to create disruption and chaos in India.”
Further arrests by the authorities
35-year-old Gazi Rahman, an important ABT member was arrested from the Kokrajhar district of Assam. He had been on the run and was caught as part of “Operation Parghat” operation to apprehend members of terror groups. “Necessary legal action is being initiated in this matter. The STF continued its efforts to apprehend all individuals connected to this case,” an officer remarked.
Assam STF nabbed a wanted fundamentalist in the Dhubri area of western Assam during a raid. Shahinur Islam (36) is a resident of Bandhabpara Part-II of the Bilasipara police station area. The operation took place at Bandhabpara village under the jurisdiction of Bilasipara police station, according to official sources, as part of an ongoing investigation into a case. During the operation, a number of incriminating items were also found including one passport, two books, a PAN card, an Aadhaar card, and a cell phone.
CPRO, Assam Police released a statement which informed, “Necessary legal and procedural formalities are being carried out. The STF remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of the state by taking decisive action against anti-national activities.” The authorities arrested two more operatives of ABT during an operation at Namapara which is located in Kokrajhar police station area in lower Assam. The arrest of Abdul Zaher Sheikh and Sabbir Mirdha averted a potential terrorist attack.
Abdul Zaher Sheikh of Joypur Namapara in Kokrajhar district and Sabbir Mirdha hailed from Ramfalbil Bazar under Serfanguri police station of Kokrajhar district. According to Section 23 of the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam (BSA), during the course of questioning and search operations, a sizable stockpile of weapons, ammunition, and other war-related things was uncovered in the hiding place of one of the individuals.
The intricate terrorist plot
Assam Police exposed one of the biggest terrorist modules in the northeastern state, unveiling a long-standing plot to carry out terrorist attacks, murder Hindu leaders and activists as well as sow religious hatred throughout the country. Multiple startling revelations from the authorities demonstrated the scope of the conspiracy to destabilize the country. The findings indicated that the terrorists wanted to challenge Indi’a intergrity and social cohesion through religious extremism. The retrieved material has been thoroughly inquired, providing insight into the scale of the terrorist operation.
It has come to light that the Jamaat Ulema-e-Hind ID Card was issued in Murshidabad, reported Zee News. The group invited scrutiny due to its connections with a terrorist network in Bangladesh. The investigators uncovered potential links to terrorist activities through data obtained from confiscated mobile devices. Among the arrested individuals, at least eight were found to possess fraudulent Aadhar cards, suggesting the formation of a local network for identity fraud. Counterfeit PAN cards were also unearthed and inquiry had been launched to trace their origins. The presence of a passport in the evidence pointed to cross-border terrorism, revealing frequent movements between terrorists in Bangladesh and Pakistan.
The incendiary text “Khut Baatul Islam,” designed to provoke jihad, was disseminated among young people with the aim of promoting radicalization. It endorses fundamentalist beliefs and encourages the youth to take up arms in the name of Islam. Published in Bangladesh, the work fuels violence by making bogus assertions that Muslims in India are under threat. According to the proof, there was a concerted attempt to promote terrorism from Bangladesh into India. The process was planned in phases:
- Promotion of the book “Khut Baatul Islam” to promote radical beliefs, instigating local youths with jihadist texts and brainwashing madrasa teachers.
- Training imams in jihad.
- Educating ordinary Muslims to support the extremist cause.
- Arms and suicide assault training for the terror operatives.
- The conspiracy had been simmering for months, especially in the Gwalpara and Morigaon areas of Assam, where a number of madrasa teachers and imams were detained in 2023 and 2024 on suspicion of being sleeper cell agents.
RSS leaders and Hindu groups on hit-list, Siliguri Corridor on target
Several terrorist organizations, including Ansarullah Bangla Team, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Al-Qaeda, have been involved in the operation. Additionally, sources pointed to connections to Pakistan, signifying outside assistance in advancing the terrorist objectives. The network was trying to reach northern India, West Bengal and Kerala in addition to Assam. The terrorists were also plotting attacks on leaders of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and other Hindu groups.
They also wanted to recruit operatives in Bengali. The political shifts in Bangladesh have given extremist groups greater opportunities to participate in anti-Indian actions. However, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) warned India’s security services, who reacted diligently to deter the terrorists from achieving their nefarious agendas. Malda, Murshidabad and Kolkata in West Bengal, as well as Dhubri, Gwalpara, and Guwahati in Assam constitute the main targets of this network.
“ABT was banned in 2013-2015 in Bangladesh, India, the UK, and the United States. They are known to have committed murders of bloggers between 2013-2015, robberies, and were setting up sleeper cells for terror activities in India. They were mainly recruiting from two places, Murshidabad and Alipurduar. They were planning terror activities in the Chicken’s Neck, Siliguri Corridor. A person called Farhan was the head of the sleeper cell,” Supratim Sarkar mentioned.
He added, “The police investigations have revealed that ABT was attempting to identify youngsters using communal fissures and all the economic disparities and thus would pick up youths who are useful for their ideologies.” Gaurav Sharma stated, “There was an input and a well-coordinated joint operation in which Assam police needed our support. ABT were trying to set up sleeper cells in the country. They were recruiting youths in the country.”
Supratim Sarkar further stated, “A joint interrogation will be conducted, we are keen on to know their plans and actions in Bengal, on our side in the state as well as in our country. The way they had set up the cell, it’s clear that they were trying to cause disruption in the country by doing terror activities. Specific targets were the Chicken’s Neck, which is the Siliguri Corridor, so recruitment was one of the important parts of their activities, including the procurement of arms for the purpose. We are keen to unearth any more modules involved.”
He underlined that members of Ansar-al-Islam and other outlawed Bangladeshi groups now use Murshidabad as a transit route. Harmeet Singh also highlighted that the terrorists planned to kill Hindu and RSS leaders and had handlers in Bangladesh and Pakistan. According to authorities, the arrested individuals and the others were assigned the mission of obtaining firearms in order to join in subversive operations within the region. The arrests were important and timely given the sensitivity of the crucial corridor.
Balkanization of India
The main ABT terrorists in Bengal and Assam, Nur Islam Mandal and Mojibar Rahaman, residents of the Kokrajhar district of Assam, assisted Sad Radi in reaching out to people and sheltered him in a number of safe houses. They located radicalized Muslims who were eager to participate in clandestine activities with the outfit. According to the three, they met with radical clerics in Falakata (near Alipurduar, North Bengal) and Murshidabad (in South Bengal) in order to find Islamists who might be inducted into the ABT’s sleeper cells.
At these meetings, plots to murder RSS and Hindu organization leaders and members were also conceived. During these discussions, the targets to be slain were determined. These sessions produced detailed plans on how the killings would be executed with a focus on making them gruesome to incite Hindu indignation. According to the ABT’s strategy, these murders would destabilize large areas of Bengal and Assam, particularly the districts bordering Bangladesh, and cause massive communal tensions and riots.
The murders by members of these sleeper groups would have increased violence and produced a dreadful situation throughout Bengal, Assam and Tripura. The Bangladeshi-origin Muslims in the border districts of Bengal, Assam and Tripura would have then called for secession from India and integration of the districts with Bangladesh, much like the Kukis are demanding independence from Manipur.
Touts in Bengal arranged passports for ABT terrorists
Touts in Bengal helped ABT terrorists cross the international border, after which they arranged for Indian passports and other citizenship credentials. The latter were directed to make arrangements for the leaders of the group, notably Sad Rabi, the head of the Bengal-Assam module, to travel safely. These revelations surfaced during the interrogation of arrested ABT members by police, per a report in The Times of India.
Local fairs and madrasas were frequented by ABT members who would enter Bengal using forged passports. According to the police, they would then disperse the ABT doctrines at these gatherings. The former stated to have videos of Sad Rabi at village events, including melas. He was calling for Khilafat (Islamic Caliphate) during an event in one video shot in Murshidabad. Likewise they used the internet to recruit their operatives and train them virtually. Shahinur Islam was teaching the courses. According to police investigations, ABT was trying to find young people by exploiting economic inequalities and communal divisions.
Notably, many members of the current government in Bangladesh, in addition to Islamist groups, seek extending Bangladesh’s borders to encompass significant portions of Bengal, Assam and Tripura. Mahfuz Alam, a prominent figure in the present regime who reportedly have close ties to the terrorist group Hizb ut-Tahrir (HuT), recently claimed on social media that India had “contained” Bangladesh and showed a map of his nation that included the majority of Bengal, Assam, and other northeastern states.
He is an advisor and special assistant to Muhammad Yunus. He was forced to delete the post after severe backlash, but it revealed the anti-Indian sentiment of the influential members of the current Bangladeshi government as Islamic zealots wreak havoc on Hindus and other minorities in the country with its tacit support.
The authorities are steadfast in their efforts to prevent the spread of terrorism from Bangladesh into India as “Operation Praghat” proceeds further. These terror plots are unlikely to succeed given India’s preparation and vigilance, since the nation’s security forces are on high alert. “Operation Praghat” was initiated following a thorough review of information inputs “regarding the anti-national activities being carried out by a group of individuals,” the under Farhan Israk’s leadership. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on 1st January also announced that the STF probe had helped Assam Police uncover a jihadi conspiracy and the authorities will continue the same.