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Intelligence agencies have informed News18 that some banned terror organisations are pressuring the Bangladesh government, aiming to radicalise young minds.
Demonstrators during a protest against Waqf (Amendment) Act, in Murshidabad district, Friday, April 11, 2025. (Image: PTI)
Whether there was presence of outsiders in the Murshidabad violence is a key question for investigators. Over 200 arrests have been made after Murshidabad witnessed violent protests against the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025 last week, in which three people were killed while several, including police officials, were injured.
The violence saw one group engaging the police on National Highway 12 with stone-pelting and attacks, while another group engaged in vandalism in Dhuliyan, Samsergunj, and Suti.
The attackers were mostly under 20 years of age. Manirul Islam, MLA of Farakka, told News18, “Most of the boys who attacked, I don’t know them. What I can clearly see is that they were all below 20 years of age.”
Given the area’s proximity to the international border and the volatile situation there, this violence is a national security concern. A senior officer told News18, “There is no doubt that some outsiders came in, whether from a different district or across the border. We are investigating this. It’s too early to say what was behind this, but definitely, some outsiders were involved with the help of insiders.”
Intelligence agencies have informed News18 that some banned terror organisations are pressuring the Bangladesh government, aiming to radicalise young minds. These organisations are also believed to have a presence in Bengal.
Experts emphasise the importance of this input, considering the attack’s proximity to the border and the strategic “chicken neck” area.
The intensity of the violence suggests the involvement of miscreants beyond the border, which has added a new dimension to the incident. Central agencies are closely monitoring the situation due to its national security implications.
Top intelligence sources indicate possible involvement of PFI and Jamaat.
Political blame game over the violence
The BJP has accused TMC leaders of orchestrating the violence with cross-border help. In a post on X, BJP leader and the party’s West Bengal co-incharge Amit Malviya shared a ABP report, saying, “The Murshidabad riots were orchestrated by leaders of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, who hired Bangladeshis — but later lost control over these elements. The BJP has consistently maintained that these are not spontaneous protests, but politically sponsored ones.”
The obvious has now been reported by Anandabazar Patrika, a leading Bengali newspaper. The Murshidabad riots were orchestrated by leaders of Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress, who hired Bangladeshis — but later lost control over these elements.The BJP has consistently… pic.twitter.com/svcpwUEc2l
— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) April 15, 2025
On the other hand, TMC’s Kunal Ghosh claims, “This is a bigger plot, definitely planned to defame Bengal. Some agencies exploited gaps at the border, facilitated the incident, and helped perpetrators escape.”
The TMC has, thus, criticised the BSF.
State Police are investigating and will submit their report to the court on the April 16, with central agencies also keeping a watchful eye on the developments in Murshidabad.