– Shabana Javed
Kolkata: Biplob Biswas, a resident of Para area in Bengal’s Nadia district, has been arrested by the Bengal Special Task Force (STF) on terrorism charges.
The 32-year-old, also known as Mohammad Biplob Biswas alias Abdullah, was taken into custody from Nadia’s Thanapara. On Thursday, Chief Judicial Magistrate Judge Dilwar Hossain of the Berhampur Court remanded him to STF custody for three days.
On the same day, five other accused members of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)—Nur Islam Mandal, Tariqul alias Sadiq, Abbas Ali, Shab Radi, and Minarul Sheikh—were also presented in court. After completing their STF custody, they were sent to jail for 14 days.
Authorities suspect that Biplob had connections with a militant organisation, and the STF is investigating possible links with ABT, as well as any plans for sabotage in Bengal.
Public Prosecutor Bishwapati Sarkar stated that Biplob is scheduled to appear in court again on February 23. The judge also approved the STF’s request to collect voice samples from three suspects, including the arrested Sajibul Islam. Intelligence sources allege that a madrasa in Hariharpara, Murshidabad, was linked to ABT member Abbas, who was previously arrested by Assam Police. Abdullah was allegedly associated with the same institution.
However, Biplob’s brother, Babu Biswas, refuted the allegations, saying, “No one in our family is involved in criminal activities. My grandfather was looking to buy old irrigation equipment and had a brief phone conversation with Minarul Sheikh of Hariharpara about it. That call changed his fate.”
Babu further claimed that Biplob was summoned to Kolkata four times in the past month to explain the call. “On Wednesday, when he went to Kolkata in response to the final notice, he was arrested,” he added.
