Kolkata: Security agencies across West Bengal are on alert following reports that several terror suspects were among the 709 prisoners who escaped during two recent jailbreaks in Bangladesh amid the ongoing crisis. Both state and central agencies are actively gathering information from the neighbouring country, while the Kolkata Police continue to monitor the city and its suburbs.
As the anti-quota stir in Bangladesh turned violent following Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and subsequent fleeing from the country, protesters armed with sticks stormed the Sherpur district jail causing over 500 prisoners to escape. On the same day, a mob broke into the Kashmirpur high-security prison in Gazipur and freed around 209 inmates.
In the Gazipur incident, cops opened fire to stop the prisoners from escaping and killed six people including three militants.
Among those who escaped is Ikramul Haque, also known as Abu Talha. Haque was arrested in 2023 by Bangladesh’s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime Unit based on Indian intelligence and was later questioned by Bengal police in Dhaka.
Authorities also suspect that another escapee is Niyamatullah, identified by a module busted in Kolkata’s Haridevpur as its leader. Sources indicate that investigations are ongoing to determine whether Abdul Alim, the operating commander of Jamaatul Muslimeen, and Zakaria Mondal, who were believed to be in the same jail, also managed to flee.
With these four terror operatives—from Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and Ansarullah Bangla Team—believed to be at large, law enforcement agencies have intensified surveillance in hotels, guesthouses, and “sensitive spots” across Bengal.
