Assam Court Sends Eight Al-Qaeda Linked Terrorists To 10-Day Police Custody

GUWAHATI: In a major breakthrough, the Guwahati court has sent eight persons, including a Bangladeshi national, to 10-day police custody in connection with their alleged association with the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), a terror group from Bangladesh affiliated with the Al-. The arrests were carried out by Assam Police’s Special Task Force (STF) on December 19, 2024, as part of “Operation Praghat,” targeting sleeper cells linked to ABT in India.

As per reports, the prime suspect identified as Md. Sad Radi, a 36-year-old Bangladeshi from Rajshahi, is said to have come to India in November 2024 with the purpose of spreading extremist ideology and establishing sleeper cells. He was arrested in Kerala after passing through Assam and West Bengal for recruiting people for the terror network.

Among those arrested are Minarul Sheikh, Md. Abbas Ali, Nur Islam Mandal, Abdul Karim Mandal, Mojibar Rahman, Hamidul Islam, and Enamul Hoque. They were arrested in Assam and West Bengal. Critical evidence has been seized by the authorities including mobile devices, four pen drives, and documents which are under investigation for additional leads.

The initial investigation reports indicate the involvement of the group in connections with the terrorist organisations of Bangladesh and Pakistan. The plan was to organize sleeper cells in Assam and West Bengal to commit acts of disruptive activities. Thus, this would disturb the security of India.

STF Chief Dr Partha Sarathi Mahanta said, "Investigation is on and the whole network is being dismantled. "Operation Praghat" highlights the effort of STF in the context of cross-border terrorism and maintaining regional stability".

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