ISI-backed Bangladesh terror groups raise spillover threat to India through radicalisation, arms smuggling
New Delhi, Sep 3 (IANS) The Indian security agencies are keeping a close watch on two terror groups and their splinters that operate out of Bangladesh. The Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and its splinter the Neo-JMB are groups of particular concern for India.
These groups have ramped up activities that range from radicalisation to weapon smuggling.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that these groups, with the backing of the ISI, have been attempting violent incidents in Bangladesh so that the country is destabilised.
However, the Indian agencies are worried about a spillover, especially into West Bengal and the northeastern states.
The bigger goal is to destabilise these states in India and the ISI has been backing these groups hard to ensure that it takes place.
An official said that in addition to radicalisation, the weapon smuggling that these groups are indulging in is dangerous. These groups are planning on looting armouries so that the weapons can be smuggled into India, particularly into the northeast, the official said.
Officials, however, worry about the heightened radicalisation that these groups are indulging in. These radicalisation camps are found in large number in the bordering areas and hence the agencies fear a spillover which will be detrimental to India, officials also say.
It is not just the Indian officials who are raising concerns about large scale radicalisation taking place in parts of Bangladesh.
Former Bangladesh foreign minister, Dr. A K Abdul Momen has urged the United Nations to step in and address this particular problem.
Momen warned that radicalisation in his country is on the rise. He also spoke about weapon proliferation in the country. He appealed for international intervention and said that the security situation in Bangladesh is deteriorating.
In addition to the issue of radicalisation and weapons proliferation, the former minister also sought a UN audit into the alleged human rights violations, overcrowding of prisons in Bangladesh and custodial deaths.
He alleged that there are nearly 4 lakh detainees who have been held without formal charges being filed against them.
Another official said that this is a typical ISI playbook. It has been looking to derail ties between India and Bangladesh, while also propping up dangerous elements to stress the security agencies.
The game in Bangladesh very much aligns with its strategy it has along the borders at Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab.
The ISI has upped the ante and would like to keep all three borders on the boil as it would get overwhelming for the security agencies to deal with.
Officials say that it is not just terror attacks, radicalisation and weapon proliferation that India is worried about. The ISI would also want groups such as the Neo-JMB to run fake narrative campaigns which would particularly target West Bengal and the northeastern states.
Bangladesh watchers say that there are already human rights violations taking place in the country against the minorities. The idea is to fuel communal tensions so that there would be a systematic targeting of the minorities and Hindus in particular in Bangladesh, an official said.
–IANS
vn/rad