A madrassa in Assam’s Bongaigaon has been demolished over links to the terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda after five people were earlier arrested for links to a Bangladesh-based extremist group. The Madrassa authorities have been carrying out the eviction since the night with the help of the local people.
“District administration said in an order that the Madrasa is structurally vulnerable and unsafe for human habitation as the Madrasa buildings were not built as per APWD specifications/IS norms,” SP Swapnaneel Deka told ANI.
“Yesterday, Goalpara district police had also conducted a search operation along with an arrested person linked with AQIS/ABT in the Madrasa. As per direction of the district administration, we have started the process to demolish the Madrasa,” he added.
Madrasa teacher Hafizur Rahman was detained on August 26 as a result of information from two imams who were detained in the nearby Goalpara area on August 21.
This was the third private madrasa this month to be demolished due to potential extremist connections.
Authorities destroyed a private madrasa on Monday in the Barpeta district, and earlier this month in the Morigaon district. Both locations are said to have served as a focal point for jihadi activity by AQIS and ABT members.
Since March of this year, Assam police have detained over 40 persons, including a Bangladeshi national, on suspicion of having ties to both of these terrorist organisations and attempting to establish jihadi sleeper cells there.
Source: India Today
