WHILE the primary focus of policy makers and security analysts remain the radical Islamic groups affiliated to the international jihadi networks operating in the Af-Pak region and Kashmir valley, Bangladesh and the neighbouring Indian states of Paschim Banga and Assam are increasingly becoming vulnerable to Islamic militancy.
Among all Islamic terrorist outfits active in this sub-region, Jamaat-ul-Mujahidin Bangladesh (JMB) has emerged
as the most serious threat to peace and security. Its sinister design to destabilise the region was brought to light by the accidental explosion in Burdwan on October 2, 2014.
The security establishment is concerned over the sudden spurt in cross-border terrorism and growing nexus between the IMB and various Islamic militant groups active in India and the former's concerted efforts to spread tentacles across South Asia. The NIA investigations have exposed JMB's terror networks extending to a number of Indian states.
Working in close coordination, the security agencies of
India and Bangladesh have succeeded in arresting some of the top leaders of the IMB. The IMB leaders revealed in 2010 that they had recruited and trained several Indian Muslims for waging jihad. The training and indoctrination of IMB cadres have been continuing in Paschim Banga for the last few years. Some youths from Assam too have joined JMB after being trained in the terror outfits camps in the neighbouring country. Taking advantage of the geographical proximity and porous international borders, the IMB has been trying to take shelter and establish bases in Assam and Paschim Banga.
The threat of Islamic terror looms large over Assam. Reports suggest that the jihadi elements operating in the state have incorporated the incumbent chief minister, Kamakhya temple, state secretariat and other key offices in their target list. Assam Police arrested several suspected JMB linkmen and activists from different districts.
The NIA has also decided to focus on suspected terror modules in neighbouring Meghalaya which is an integral part of transit zone between Assam and Bangladesh. The Meghalaya DGP suspects that there may be some Islamic terror sleeper cells in the western region, notably Garo Hills, and the eastern part of the state.
The Bangladeshi radical Islamic groups' bids to expand their terror networks across the borders are not a new phenomenon. New Delhi had intelligence inputs long back in 2005 that IMB, Jagrata Muslim Janata-Bangladesh and Harkat-ul-lehadi-Islami (Hull) had been infiltrating into the Indian territory with ‘strategic, long-term plans' to extend their support to the North Eastern militant outfits and made Paschim Banga a launching pad for spreading their operations.
Earlier reports indicated that the Bangladeshi jihadi groups had been enjoying considerable clout in the India-Bangladesh border regions especially in Bengal. The 'mushrooming” of Madrassas funded by foreign Islamist financial institutions on both sides of the international borders might have facilitated the radicalisation of local youths. These Madrassas had been providing recruits to the IMB.
Intelligence inputs indicate that the arrested JMB operatives were part of the jihadi outfit s plan to renew subversive activities in Bangladesh. The discovery of explosives and incriminating documents from the blast site reveals meticulous and high level of preparation by the IMB militants to carry out attacks in Bangladesh. It appears that the terror strikes had been planned as retaliation against Sheikh
Hasina-led Awami League (AL) government's recent crackdown on JMB elements.
The Modi government had been alarmed in the wake of revelation of a deep terror network in Paschim Banga and Assam. The NIA chief claimed that 58 terror modules have been operating in Paschim Banga. The investigators are zeroing on about 180 Bangladeshi nationals involved in these modules, including JMB.
JMB's motives to undermine democracy, political stability, security and peace in South Asia have been gradually unfolding. India's Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) observes that the JMB was planning to create “serious unrest" in Bangladesh, using Indian territory as base for its terror operations. The MHA officials have noted that targeting top leaders of both the ruling AL and the major opposition party BNP, was part of their terror strike plans in Bangladesh.
During the last home secretary level talks in September 2-4, 2014 in Dhaka, both the countries reiterated their commitment to combat the menace of cross-border terrorism through greater interaction between the security agencies of the two neighbouring countries and sharing of each other's intelligence inputs.
The regrouping of Bangladeshi Islamic terrorist
outfits poses another key threat to South Asia. The security establishment is seriously concerned over the reports of several jihadi outfits of Bangladesh coming under a single platform to expand their terror networks within and beyond the neighbouring country. Intelligence agencies say radical Islamic groups such as JMB, Hull, Allahar Dal, Hizb ut-Tahrir and others have formed an umbrella platform - Bangladesh Jihadi Group.
The AL government's zero tolerance towards terrorism and relentless crackdown on jihadi elements prompted them to set up a common platform for coordination and expansion of their networks across the India-Bangladesh borders. The Bangladeshi Islamic terrorists' attempts to create sleeper cells in bordering states like Paschim Banga and Assam are to be seen in the light of all these developments
Despite suffering numerous setbacks, the jihadi outfit has bounced back with vengeance. The governments of both the countries are worried as the terror outfit's larger plan is also to destabilise the existing friendly relations between India and Bangladesh. It remains to be seen how political leaders of India and Bangladesh fight jihadi activities in their joint endeavours.
The writer is a political analyst based in New Delhi.