The resurgence of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) has set alarm bells ringing among Indian intelligence agencies. Ever since the regime change in Bangladesh, security officials have been closely tracking the outfit&rsquo;s growing activities.
The ouster of Sheikh Hasina plunged Bangladesh into chaos, triggering sweeping changes overnight. The ban on Jamaat-e-Islami was lifted, radical groups gained renewed freedom, and hundreds of terrorists &ndash; including ABT operatives &ndash; were released from custody.
According to intelligence inputs, the ISI-backed ABT has been tasked to focus operations in West Bengal and Assam. Modules have reportedly been set up to train scores of Bangladeshis and Rohingya recruits for targeted strikes in these states.
Security forces in India have been on high alert, anticipating a sharp rise in infiltration attempts amid the lawlessness in Bangladesh. Already, multiple attempts to cross into India have been foiled. Meanwhile, ABT&rsquo;s strategy involves training around 100 operatives and sending them across the border in smaller, harder-to-detect groups.
This time, the tactics of terror outfits appear more coordinated. Groups like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI), and ABT are working under a common umbrella with divided areas of operation. While ABT is focusing on Assam and Bengal, HuJI and JMB are targeting other parts of the northeast.
The clear objective, officials warn, is to disrupt peace in the region by sparking clashes, launching terror strikes, and stalling development projects. Recent arrests in Assam&rsquo;s Kokrajhar and West Bengal&rsquo;s Murshidabad point to sleeper cells already embedded on Indian soil, waiting for infiltration routes to open.
Investigations further revealed that the Siliguri Corridor &ndash; also known as the Chicken Neck &ndash; was among the top targets. A successful strike there would have crippling consequences as it serves as the lifeline connecting the northeast to the rest of India.
Among those released by the new Muhammad Yunus-led government in Bangladesh are notorious ABT operatives Al Amin, Harun-ur-Rashid, Iqbal Hossain, and Jikrullah. Their release has raised serious concerns, but the most alarming development was the freeing of Mufti Jashimuddin Rahman, the ABT chief, despite four major pending cases against him.
Indian agencies maintain that these decisions are being driven under the influence of the ISI-backed Jamaat, further compounding the threat to national security. [Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed]

ABT revival sparks security alert in India

Intelligence flags ISI-backed ABT infiltration threat in Assam and West Bengal

ABT revival sparks security alert in India

Intelligence flags ISI-backed ABT infiltration threat in Assam and West Bengal

August 21, 2025 | 20:22 IST