In a major counter-terror operation, Assam Police have busted a terror module operating in the state and arrested 11 individuals allegedly linked to a Bangladesh-based extremist organisation.
Police said the arrests followed specific inputs from central intelligence agencies, which had alerted authorities about the activities of the Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK) module in Assam and neighbouring regions.
Links to banned Bangladesh extremist group
IMK is a Bangladesh-based offshoot of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), which is banned in India. Investigators said IMK was founded in 2018 by Jewel Mahmud, also known as Imam Mahmud Habibullah or Sohail, a former JMB member who styles himself as the “Amir” of the outfit and propagates the extremist ideology of “Ghazwatul Hind”.
The arrested accused 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).
Intelligence alert after Bangladesh regime change
Security agencies said that following the change of regime in Bangladesh in August 2024, senior leaders of JMB, Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) issued directions to IMK to activate and expand its Indian modules.
Subsequently, two Bangladeshi nationals, identified as Umar and Khalid, were tasked with coordinating activities in Assam, investigators said.
Radicalisation through online platforms
Police revealed that recruitment, radicalisation and financial mobilisation were being carried out using encrypted social media platforms. A group titled Purva Akash functioned as the main communication hub, targeting individuals in Assam, West Bengal and Tripura.
Those recruited included people holding Indian passports, individuals with prior visits to Bangladesh, and former members of banned organisations. The IMK also circulated extremist literature and propaganda through dedicated websites and social media banners to indoctrinate sympathisers.
Case registered under UAPA, BNS
A case has been registered under multiple sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. Police said investigations are ongoing to dismantle remaining sleeper cells linked to the module.