;Kolkata, 5 January (H.S.): A terrorist convicted in the Khagragarh blast case and currently lodged in Baharampur Central Correctional Home has joined hands with Bangladesh's banned terrorist organization Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) to create havoc in West Bengal.

Recently, four militants were arrested in a joint operation of Assam Police and West Bengal State Police STF in Naoda and Hariharpara of Murshidabad district. Preliminary investigation of STF based on interrogation of the detained persons has revealed that many members of Bangladesh's banned militant organization JMB have joined ABT. 'They are planning attacks at many places in West Bengal and India.'

According to intelligence sources, a militant named Tariqul Islam, convicted in the 2014 Khagragarh blast case, is also trying to expand the organization of ABT in the state.

Assam STF has arrested 12 militants from its state and many other states. After interrogating them, it was revealed that the ABT militants had planned to bring weapons from Assam and give terrorist training in Murshidabad.

In order to find out the link of the terrorist convicted in the Khagragarh blast case and imprisoned in Baharampur Central Correctional Home with the ABT militants, the West Bengal STF had applied to the Baharampur Court on Saturday to take Tariqul in its custody. According to sources, Tariqul was taken out of the jail on Sunday and taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

On December 18, the STF raided the Hariharpara police station area and arrested two youths named Minarul Sheikh and Abbas Ali. According to the police, they are members of ABT. Abbas is accused of being involved in many criminal activities in the area. Recently, Abbas was working as a madrasa teacher in the area. According to intelligence sources, Abbas was arrested and jailed in Baharampur several years ago under the POCSO Act. At that time, he met Tariqul alias Suman, one of the masterminds of the Khagragarh blast case. Reportedly, while in jail, Tariqul, through Abbas, planned to spread the terrorist organization in Hariharpara, Naoda and the rest of Murshidabad.

According to sources, ABT members had planned a major attack in Siliguri and surrounding areas, called the 'Chicken Neck' of West Bengal. But before that one by one ABT militants were arrested by the Assam Police. Five of these militants are directly linked to Murshidabad district.

According to STF sources, Tariqul, who is serving sentence in Baharampur jail for Khagragarh blast, was trying to expand the organization of ABT in the state with the help of some other militants like Abbas, Minarul, Sajibul, Mustakim arrested from Murshidabad. However, the leader of the militants caught in Murshidabad was Mohammad Saab Sheikh, who was arrested from Kerala. Saab's name is in the voter list of Hariharpada and Naoda blocks. The state STF is now investigating how and to what extent Saab and Tariqul spread the network of terrorism.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Priyanka Pandey