Kolkata, Dec 25 (IANS): The Central intelligence agencies have alerted the West Bengal government of a possible terror attack on Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Assembly, by the associates of a Bangladesh-based fundamentalist outfit who have already entered the Indian territory through the porous borders with the neighbouring nation.
Sources said in two successive inputs from the central agencies sent to the state secretariat, it has been clearly stated that the LoP has become the target of two Bangladesh-based fundamentalist associations namely Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HUT).
It has also been claimed in the intelligence reports, sources added, that there is a possibility of the LOP being targeted in any of the several public programmes that he is attending daily where he had constantly been vocal on the recent crisis in Bangladesh, especially the attack on the minorities and Hindu religious establishments there.
Threat perception on this count was already there and in view of that the Union government decided to expand the ambit of security for Adhikari last month.
Till November this year, Adhikari was entitled to “Z” category security only within the state of West Bengal. However, considering the threat perception as highlighted in the central intelligence report, henceforth the same security will be provided to the LoP wherever within India he will be travelling.
Earlier Adhikari was entitled to “Y” category security in any state other than West Bengal.
Sources said that the West Bengal Police is also taking the latest alerts from the intelligence agencies quite seriously and has advised the state’s intelligence agencies to act accordingly and adopt all security measures on their part on this count.
Already the security and intelligence agencies, both central and state, are on high alert over inputs of HUT associates trying to be active in different India-Bangladesh bordering districts and making attempts to open sleeper cells there.
As per intelligence inputs two active HUT associates recently came to West Bengal with valid Bangladeshi passports posing as students and had meetings with some local youths in Malda and Murshidabad districts.
These two HUT activists, as per intelligence inputs, initially picked up conversations with the local youths in these two districts discussing religious issues and thereafter carried on the conversation to the level of opening sleeper cells in the bordering districts. The two Bangladeshi citizens have been identified as Ridwan Maruf and Sabbir Amir.