Assam Police Say 11 Linked to Bangladesh-Based Jihadi Outfit Confess to Terror Ties
Arrests across Assam and Tripura reveal links to Bangladesh based jihadi network, online radicalisation, funding collection and plans to incite violence, police say
Assam, Dec 04 : Eleven arrested associates of the Bangladesh-based jihadi outfit Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK) have confessed to their involvement in activities outlined in the FIR during interrogation, Assam Police sources said on Saturday.
The arrests were carried out by the Special Task Force (STF) of the Assam Police on December 30 following coordinated raids across Barpeta, Chirang, Baksa and Darrang districts of Assam, along with a parallel operation in neighbouring Tripura. Of the arrested accused, 10 are from Assam, while one was apprehended from a bordering village in West Tripura district.
IMK is a Bangladesh-based offshoot of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
According to police sources, the accused were engaged in collecting funds in various parts of Barpeta, Chirang and other lower Assam districts to further the objectives of IMK. Investigators said indoctrination sessions were conducted in mosques, where references were allegedly made to waging armed struggle against the Indian state.
“The objective was to foment violent activities in the name of jihad and to create communal disturbances in Assam and Tripura,” a senior police source said.
Investigations revealed that IMK Amir Nachimuddin of Barpeta, along with one of the arrested associates from Tripura, had visited Bangladesh in April–May 2024 for meetings and training sessions linked to the outfit’s activities.
Police further said the radicalisation process involved online platforms. One of the accused, Nasim Uddin alias Tamim of Nichuka in Barpeta Road, allegedly came into contact with IMK-linked handlers after commenting on a YouTube video discussing the concept of a ‘Mujaddid’. He was subsequently directed to a Telegram account operated by a Bangladesh-based handler named Khalid, who allegedly shared extremist material, including religious texts and ‘Ilham’ messages, in PDF format.
The accused were allegedly guided by handlers based in Bangladesh, West Bengal and Tripura, who promoted extremist interpretations of religious texts and sought to legitimise violent jihad.
Investigators found that the accused were connected through a WhatsApp group named ‘Purba Akash’, which was allegedly used for communication, radical propaganda dissemination and coordination across Assam and Tripura.
Police said IMK was founded in 2018 by Jewel Mahmud alias Imam Mahmud Habibullah alias Sohail, a former JMB member who claims to be the Amir of the outfit and propagates the ideology of ‘Ghazwatul Hind’.
Following the political transition in Bangladesh in August 2024, senior leaders of banned outfits such as JMB, Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) allegedly directed IMK to activate and expand its modules in India, investigators said.
Assam Police noted that extremist networks have attempted to exploit digital platforms to revive and expand their influence in the region. Further investigation in the case is underway in a phased manner.
