Assam’s Web of Terror through Madrassas: Crackdown Continues; Cops to Untangle WB, MP Links

With Goalpara emerging as a key centre for jihadi modules fuelling the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) , Director General of Assam police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta reached the district in lower Assam on Thursday to monitor developments in the operation against the terror nexus.

On August 19, the Goalpara police picked up Abdus Subahan alias Abdus Souhan and Jalaluddin Sheikh, who acted as conduits for the ABT in Assam. Both were arrested a day later. Subahan had been serving as an imam in Tinkoniyapara mosque for two years and also taught at Tinkoniyapara madrassa, while Sheikh was an imam at Maitya Tilapara mosque. According to police sources, Subahan was a key member in a secret meeting involving Rekib, who was arrested in West Bengal for his “jihadi connections”.

“The terrorists establish madrasas and take jakat from all. This cannot continue. Madrassas must be established under rules. In case of Subahan, who was recently arrested, even his neighbours were oblivious to his activities. However, the information and incriminating documents found in his house in West Bengal show a conspiracy,” said Mahanta.

Subahan has allegedly confessed to being an Al-Qaeda member and recruiting members from Assam into the terror group. He is in police remand for seven days. “They were directly linked to the Barpeta and Morigaon modules. In Subahan’s house, we found posters, books, incriminating documents, secret phones and SIM cards, while Arabic literature was recovered from Sheikh’s residence. Both were providing logistic support to ABT and AQ, including sheltering the recruits. They were organising sessions for ABT operatives from Bangladesh and were handling funding for these events. Sheikh organised talent hunts for recruitment drives and formation of sleeper cells. Subahan later confessed that he had joined al-Qaeda in 2018 and Sheikh was his brother,” said Rakesh Reddy, superintendent of police, Goalpara.

“Subahan is a resident of Gobindapur in Goalpara and we have apprehended him from Bongaigaon. Several people have been arrested in Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal and we are trying to establish a co-relation. They had a massive plan. We have identified the leader, but most of them are on the run,” said Mahanta.

According to the DG, they use the term “cut-off” where one group is not aware of the existence of the other. They are preparing fighters for the future and have organised several trainings across Assam.

Recently, another terror module was busted in Goalpara, with the arrest of madrassa teacher Mufti Hafizur Rehman. This is the fourth bust linked to ABT in Goalpara alone.​

THE MADRASSA

In an exclusive revelation, News18 came across a madrassa in Alagapur Char (riverine area), which is across the river and discreet.

The madrassa was established by Jamaluddin, who recently arrested for his alleged terror links. According to police sources, Jamaluddin appointed two Maulanas at the madrassa — Jahangir Alam and Aminul Islam — from West Bengal and Coochbehar. Both have fled after the Assam Police began its crackdown on terror modules. Several incriminating documents and jihadi posters have been recovered from the madrassa. The Maulanas were working at the madrassa for more than one year.

“I stay at pahiuruwa and work in Haryana. When I came home, I learned about the madrassa. Police called me for questioning. The madrassa was brought down by the police and they found a photograph which had a picture of a dead person and Ansar Ullah Bangla was written on top of it,” said a local of Pakhiuruwa.

“Jamiat has more than a thousand madrassas in Assam, Ali Hadith and Ali Sunnat. People need to be extra cautious while appointing Imams and teachers,” said the DGP.

The Assam Tanzim council recently met the Director of Police Assam to present a directory with details of all madrassas run by the Tanzim Council. According to Maulana Abdul Qudir, Secretary of Tanzim Council, the objective of the exercise is to prevent anti-India, jihadi elements from utilising the madrassas for their nefarious fundamentalist purposes.

‘PETTY THIEVES SHOWN AS JIHADIS’

Abdul Rashid Alam, Congress MLA from Goalpara East, alleged that Assam police have been picking up petty thieves and showing them as jihadis.

The Assam government has already closed 800 government-run madrassas last year. All government-run madrassas in Assam were abolished and over 620 such institutions converted into general schools from April 1 last year.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that consultations were on at different levels with all stakeholders on the 800 Quomi madrassas, which are among 1,500 private madrassas functional in the state.

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