- Wednesday, April 16, 2025
The union home ministry is closely following the situation in Murshidabad, where central forces have been deployed along with the state police
By: India Weekly
BANGLADESHI radicals, allegedly aided by local leaders of a political party, were “involved” in the recent violence triggered by anti-Waqf law agitations in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, sources said.
Quoting an intelligence report, sources said members of two Bangladesh-based radical outfits – Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) – were allegedly involved in the violence in Murshidabad, which left three people dead.
The violence was carried out by Bangladeshi miscreants, allegedly aided by local leaders of a political party, sources said quoting the report.
The union home ministry is closely following the situation in Murshidabad, where central forces have been deployed along with the state police to restore peace and maintain law and order, sources said.
The Border Security Force (BSF), which is deployed along the India-Bangladesh border, has also been instructed to keep a strict vigil so that illegal infiltration does not take place in the West Bengal sector, the sources said.
On April 12, union home secretary Govind Mohan held a virtual meeting with the chief secretary and DGP of West Bengal after large-scale violence led to loss of lives in Murshidabad district.
During their talks, the Centre asked the state government to keep a close watch on the other sensitive districts and put in place adequate steps to ensure normalcy at the earliest.
Violent protests erupted on Friday and Saturday in pockets of the district, including Suti, Dhulian and Jangipur, following anger over the amended Waqf Act.
The demonstrations soon escalated into clashes, leaving at least three people dead and several injured.
Personnel of the BSF, CRPF, state police and RAF have been deployed in large numbers in Jangipur, Dhuliyan, Suti and Shamsherganj, where no new incident of violence was reported in the past 48 hours, officials said.
The state police said the situation in the riot-hit parts of Murshidabad is gradually returning to normal, with shops reopening and displaced families starting to return to their homes.
The West Bengal Police on Tuesday (15) arrested two brothers for their alleged involvement in the brutal murder of a father-son duo during communal violence in Murshidabad district, a senior officer said.
With the fresh arrests, a total of 221 people have been apprehended so far in connection with the recent violence in the Muslim-majority district during anti-Waqf (Amendment) Act protests.
The two accused, identified as Kalu Nadar and Dildar Nadar, were residents of the same Jafrabad area where the father-son duo used to live, he said, adding that a special investigation team has been formed to probe into the murders.
Fresh episodes of Waqf (Amendment) Act-related violence rocked Bhangar area in West Bengal’s South 24 Parganas district on Monday (14), while Murshidabad remained largely under control.
Supporters of the Indian Secular Front (ISF) clashed with the police at Bhangar during protests over the Act, leading to several injuries, vandalising of public properties and the torching of multiple police vehicles.
The clashes erupted when police stopped ISF supporters from heading towards Ramlila Maidan in central Kolkata to attend an anti-Waqf Act rally addressed by party leader and Bhangar MLA Naushad Siddique.
According to police, the rallyists were stopped near Bhojerhat on the Basanti Highway, where a large number of ISF workers had gathered from Bhangar as well as neighbouring areas such as Minakhan and Sandeshkhali.
Tension escalated when the crowd attempted to break through police barricades, leading to a clash between the two sides. (PTI)
