State: Unfolding JMB’s terror network

Intro: The Jammat–ul Mujahiddin Bangladesh (JMB) was silently working on a strong terror network in the districts of Murshidabad, Nadia and Malda of West Bengal and also few localities in lower Assam.

Suddenly Barpeta district in lower Assam emerges as an epicenter of Jehadi (also spelled as Jihadi) terrorism as many residents of the underdeveloped district are being scanned for their links with Islamic militants rooted in Bangladesh. Not to speak of others, Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi, also in charge of Home portfolio, himself admitted that Barpeta becoming a major concentration of Jehadi elements.

It started with the arrest of six natives from Barpeta by the Assam police on October 10 in suspicion of being the linkmen to the Islamic fundamentalist outfit named Jammat–ul Mujahiddin Bangladesh (JMB). The accidental explosion took place inside a house in Khagragarh village of Burdwan that killed Shakil Ahmed and Sovan Mandal. Following the blast, the West Bengal police, otherwise reluctant, started investigations into the matter. Soon it came out that an inherent design of the banned Islamic terror group was already in place as the JMB was planning to carry out disruptive activities across India.
Mentionable is that Sahanur Alam, who is a resident of Chatla village in Barpeta district, was figured in a list of 12 most wanted terrorists, which was declared on October 31 by the NIA.
A pretended dentist, who could pass only 12 standard, Sahanur still carries a cash reward of rupees 5 lakh on his head from the investigative agency. The police suspects that Suzena initially used to work as a messenger but soon she turned into activism with terror trainings. Frequently visited West Bengal in the last six months, Suzena also acted as a trainer for lady Jehadi activists. She also confessed that few more Muslim ladies from Assam had gone for Jehadi trainings with small arms at Simulia Madrassa in Burdwan (West Bengal).
The West Bengal Police have already arrested Sajid, a suspected Bangladeshi national, who was mentioned in the NIA list with a reward of rupees 10 lakh on his head and Amjad Ali Sheikh in connection with the Burdwan blast case. The NIA is now looking for some others including Habibur Rahman Sheikh, Abdul Kalam, Burhan Sheikh, Rezaul Karim, Zahirul Shaikh, Talha Sheikh, Yusuf Sheikh, with Nasirullah, Kausar (both are Bangladeshi citizens) and Sahanur Alam (from Assam).
The JMB, which pursues an enmity towards the Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, triggered a series of blasts in various locations of the country including the Dhaka city in 2005. Since then the JMB remained in the media for its terror activities in Bangladesh and also in some parts of eastern India.
Expressing concern over the radicalism, shown by various Islamic elements in Assam, Wasbir Hussain, a senior journalist and author based in Guwahati argued that it would ‘only harm the community in a State like Assam known for harmonious co–existence of people over the ages’. Asserting that ‘tackling a malaise like fundamentalism and terrorism’ is not only the responsibility of the government.
                                                      —NJ Thakuria from Guwahati