ABT revival rings alarm bells: Infiltration, sleeper cells and the ISI hand

New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) The activities of a terror organisation that is being closely watched are those of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT). India’s Intelligence agencies have flagged the activities of this outfit since the regime change in Bangladesh.

The agencies have learnt that the outfit is having a free run thanks to the new regime in Bangladesh. Following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina, the country erupted into chaos.

Several changes took place overnight. The ban on the Jamaat-e-Islami was lifted, and radical elements were given a free hand, among others. However, the most dangerous development was when hundreds of terrorists, including those of the ABT, were released.

The ABT, which is a puppet of the ISI, has been told to focus just on West Bengal and Assam. A module was set up where scorers of Bangladeshis and Rohingya Muslims are being trained. These are being trained to carry out specific attacks in the above-mentioned states.

The Indian security agencies are on very high alert since the chaos broke out in Bangladesh. There have been many reports that infiltrations by migrants would go up tenfold, as there is a state of lawlessness in Bangladesh. The security forces have managed to prevent scores of people who have been trying to infiltrate India.

The ABT, on the other hand, is planning to train over 100 persons and then infiltrate in smaller numbers into India.

This time around, the modus operandi of the terror groups is slightly different. Each of these groups, be it the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh or Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami, and the ABT, are working under one umbrella. Their areas of operation have been segregated. While the ABT would operate in Assam and West Bengal, the HuJI and JMB would focus on the other northeastern states.

The entire focus of these terror groups is to disrupt peace and tranquillity in the northeastern states. They want to ensure that clashes erupt, terror strikes and development comes to a halt.

The fact that the activities of the ABT are on the rise can be seen from recent arrests. In the last six months, arrests have taken place in both Assam’s Kokrajhar and West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.

Investigations had found that sleeper cells were also in operation, and many of these persons were waiting for the infiltrations to take place before trying to carry out a terror strike. The agencies found that the first plan was to strike at the Siliguri Corridor or the Chicken Neck. An attack here would have had a huge impact, as it is the gateway to the northeastern states.

Among those terrorists of the ABT who have been released by the Muhammad Yunus government are Al Amin, Harun-ur-Rashid, Iqbal Hossain and Jikrullah. These are highly dangerous terrorists, and the Yunus government has no explanation as to why they were released.

However, the most brazen among these was the release of Mufti Jashimuddin Rahman, the chief of the ABT. He was released on the pretext that the court had no objection to the same. The fact is that four major cases are pending against him.

The Indian agencies, however, say that all this is taking place at the insistence of the ISI-controlled Jamaat.

--IANS

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