Bangladesh-linked terror module busted in Assam, 11 arrested
What's the story
Assam Police have busted a major terror module linked to a Bangladesh-based extremist outfit. The police arrested 11 people associated with the Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK), an offshoot of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), according to a report by NDTV. The arrests were made after central intelligence agencies alerted local authorities about the activities of this group.
Group leader
IMK's founder and its radical ideology
The IMK was formed in 2018 by Jewel Mahmud, a former JMB member who calls himself the 'Emir' of the group. Known by various aliases, including Jewel Ali, he founded the relatively obscure group, IMK, in Bangladesh, propagating the ideology of Ghazwatul Hind, which calls for an armed conquest of India. After political changes in Bangladesh in August 2024, leaders from JMB, Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) asked IMK to activate its Indian modules.
Recruitment tactics
IMK's recruitment and radicalization methods
Investigations were quoted as saying that the IMK used secure social media platforms for coordination. A group called 'Purva Akash' was used as a main communication and recruitment platform. People from Assam, West Bengal, and Tripura were radicalized, recruited, and financially mobilized through this network. The recruitment targeted people with Indian passports or those who had visited Bangladesh, including former members of banned terrorist organizations.
Propaganda spread
IMK's propaganda and ongoing investigation
The report added that IMK spreads extremist propaganda through websites and social media banners. Radical literature written by IMK leaders is circulated to indoctrinate sympathizers. A case has been registered against the accused under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967. The investigation is still underway as authorities try to dismantle all sleeper cells linked to this module.