Rising Extremism in Bengal: A Growing Concern

 

 

 

Recent Bust of Terror Module 'Shahadat'

 

 

The issue of extremism in Bengal is escalating, with inadequate political measures to counteract Islamist groups. The recent dismantling of an Islamist terror module named ‘Shahadat’ by the Bengal Police’s Special Task Force (STF) highlights the severity of the situation.

 

 

Radicalization of Mohammad Habibullah

 

 

 

 

Mohammad Habibullah, the leader of this module, is a second-year computer science student at Mankar College in Purba Bardhaman. A senior Bengal Police officer described the 21-year-old as highly radicalized, with strong connections to leaders of Bangladeshi terror outfits.

 

  

Habibullah's Background and Recruitment

 

 

Habibullah, a reserved and soft-spoken individual from Mirpara village in Paschim Bardhaman, was detained by the STF, which seized several electronic devices from him. Counter-terrorism experts revealed that ‘Shahadat’ is the Bengal wing of Bangladesh’s Shahadat-e al-Hiqme, linked to the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

 

 

Formation and Activities of Shahadat

 

 

Habibullah established ‘Shahadat’ in late 2022, at the age of 19. He had been in contact with radical Islamist groups online since Class VII and was groomed by ABT and Shahadat-e al-Hiqme operatives. The STF also detained five more youths recruited by Habibullah from Purba and Paschim Bardhaman.

 

 

Espionage Attempts in Panagarh

 

 

Habibullah was arrested in Panagarh, home to significant defense establishments. He was tasked with gathering sensitive information about the movement of aircraft and troops, but his efforts were largely unsuccessful. However, his radicalization and role as the ‘Amir’ (head) of a terror cell remain alarming.

 

 

Links with Other Radical Outfits

 

 

‘Shahadat’ has connections with Hyderabad-based Darsgah-Jihad-O-Shahadat, which is linked to Pakistani terror outfits controlled by ISI. The radicalization of Habibullah and other youths in Bardhaman districts has raised serious concerns among security and intelligence agencies.

 

 

Radicalization in Mosques and Madrassas

 

 

Radical clerics in mosques and unregistered madrassas are primarily responsible for the radicalization of both illiterate and educated Muslim youths. These clerics target academically proficient students, grooming them for terror activities and leveraging their computer skills for operations on the dark web.

 

 

Political Challenges in Tackling Extremism

 

 

Efforts to monitor and control radicalization are hindered by political constraints. Bengal’s political leadership, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, is reluctant to implement extensive surveillance on clerics, mosques, and madrassas due to fear of alienating Muslim voters and powerful Muslim politicians with links to Islamist outfits.

 

 

The Urgent Need for Action

 

 

The discovery of Habibullah’s ‘Shahadat’ module is just the tip of a potentially dangerous iceberg threatening Bengal and India’s security. Without decisive action from the ruling dispensation in Bengal, the risk posed by radical Islamist groups will continue to grow, endangering national security.