Guwahati: A major terror module with Bangladesh links was busted by the Assam Police with the help of inputs from central security and intelligence agencies. Eleven people have been arrested in this connection, as reported by NDTV.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Nasim Uddin alias Najimuddin, alias Tamim, 24, Junab Ali (38), Afrahim Hussain (24), Mizanur Rehman (46), Sultan Mehmud (40), Md Siddique Ali (46), Rasidul Aalam (28), Mahibul Khan (25), Sharuk Hussain (22), Md Dilbar Razak (26), and Jagir Miah (33).
According to sources, they are part of the Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK) module. The IMK is an offshoot of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), an outfit banned in India.
According to officials, the IMK was founded in 2018 by Jewel Mahmud, alias Imam Mahmud Habibullah, alias Sohail, a former JMB member, who claims the title of ‘Amir’ of the IMK and propagates the ideology of “Ghazwatul Hind”.
Following the regime change in Bangladesh in August 2024, senior leaders of the JMB, Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) reportedly issued directives to the IMK leadership to activate and expand its Indian modules. Subsequently, Bangladeshi nationals identified as Umar and Khalid were assigned to coordinate activities within Assam.
Investigations revealed that these activities are coordinated through secure social media platforms. One such group, titled ‘Purva Akash,’ functions as the principal communication and recruitment platform. Individuals based in Assam, West Bengal, and Tripura were being radicalised, recruited, and financially mobilised through this network, the news channel has reported.
The recruitment targeted individuals with Indian passports, those with a history of visits to Bangladesh, and former members of proscribed terrorist organisations.
The IMK presents itself as a “Ghazwatul Hind-centric” extremist module, advocating for an armed conquest of India. Authorities found that following the recent political shifts in Bangladesh, various cadres of the JMB, ABT, and AQIS were either released or emboldened, leading to a revival of their ideological influence and Indian networks via IMK-linked platforms.
The IMK disseminates extremist propaganda through dedicated websites and social media banners. Radical literature authored by the IMK leadership, including titles such as ‘Sarbobhoumo Khamatar Malik Allah’ and ‘Ghazwatul Hind er Sonkhipto Alochona’, is systematically circulated to indoctrinate sympathisers.
A case has been registered against the accused under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to dismantle the remaining sleeper cells connected to the module.
