Kolkata, 16 April (H.S.) -India’s central intelligence agencies have begun investigating possible links between recent communal violence in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district and extremist groups based in Bangladesh. Initial inputs received by the central government suggest the involvement of illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators in the unrest, prompting a deeper probe into cross-border radical connections.
According to intelligence sources, three Islamist organizations are under particular scrutiny: Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT), and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). All three have a history of operating in Murshidabad, a district that shares a porous border with Bangladesh.
The areas most affected by the violence, especially Shamsherganj, lie adjacent to Bangladesh’s Chapai Nawabganj district—a known stronghold of ABT. Based on geographical proximity and previous intelligence, ABT is currently the prime suspect in the recent disturbances.
In December last year, West Bengal Police’s Special Task Force, in collaboration with Assam Police, arrested a wanted ABT operative, Sajidul Islam, from Murshidabad. He is the cousin of notorious ABT terrorist Shad Radi, alias Shab Sheikh, who was arrested from Kerala in 2023. Since then, central agencies have been receiving regular inputs indicating increased ABT activity in Murshidabad and adjoining Nadia district—both considered vulnerable due to their proximity to the international border.
Following these developments, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs has initiated a comprehensive review of the situation. Meanwhile, the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) has brought a semblance of stability to Murshidabad starting Tuesday.
The CAPF deployment followed an April 12 directive from a special division bench of the Calcutta High Court, which noted that the initial measures taken by the West Bengal government were inadequate. The court also remarked that had the central forces been deployed earlier, the situation might not have escalated to such “serious” levels.
The investigation into foreign extremist links continues as intelligence agencies work to trace the broader network behind the unrest, which could have significant national security implications.
Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh
