Author: Saugar Sengupta/Kolkata
Publication: The Pioneer
Date: November 20, 2002
Investigations revealed that the
two Bangladeshi militants arrested on Saturday night by the Kolkata Police
belong to the Islamic Aikya Front of Bangladesh. The outfit is a cover
organisation for Al-Qaeda activists operating from that country, intelligence
sources said, adding, the arrested militants had been trained by the Inter
Services Intelligence (ISI).
The two Bangladeshi nationals Liaqat
Hussein Liaqat and Arman Khan picked up by the police from the New Market
area are dreaded history-sheeters of Bangladesh - operating from Dhaka,
Chattagram, Rajshahi and Khulna on the other side of the border - carrying
rewards of Rs 1.5 lakh each on their heads, Deputy Commissioner Detective
Department, Soumen Mitra, revealed.
In fact, Liaqat was carrying a 9
mm pistol of Italian make and 17 rounds of bullets when he was arrested
in front of a theatre.
The militants are involved in over
40 cases of murder, extortion and robbery in Bangladesh, Mr Mitra maintained.
A senior police official said, "The militants had come to Kolkata with
an aim to spread terror. We have recovered several sensitive documents
including maps and documents related to defence installations from these
militants."
A close scrutiny of the militants'
passports revealed that they were in Kolkata for the last two months.
They had entered Kolkata via Haridaspur
in North 24 Parganas, police said. "They had fooled their landlord into
believing that they had come to India for treatment," said Mr Mitra.
Saturday's arrests have sent a wave
of shock among the police brass as interrogations have revealed that both
Liaqat and Arman had put up in the upmarket locality of Garia Gardens.
Earlier the militants or their contacts
generally preferred Tiljala, Beniapukur or Park Circus areas. However,
what has sent alarm bells ringing in police quarters is that the militants
had chosen a more cosmopolitan area inhabited by comparatively well to
do sections. The Kolkata Police is likely to renew its efforts to maintain
a list of new tenants throughout the city, top police sources said.
Meanwhile, seven more Bangladeshi
nationals have been arrested and investigations about their antecedents
are on, police said adding whether they also belong to the Al-Qaeda network
was being ascertained.
