Assam: Locals Voluntarily Demolish Madrasa In Goalpara

GUWAHATI: A madrasa located in Pakhiura Char under Matia police station in Assam's Goalpara district, was demolished by local residents, who alleged that the premises were used by two Bangladeshi nationals for terror activities, police informed on Tuesday.

This is the first time locals voluntarily demolished a madrasa, on the allegation that the premises were used by two Bangladeshi nationals Aminul Islam and Jahangir Alom for terrorist activities. The duo reportedly taught on and off at different times in the madrasa between 2020 and 2022.

According to official sources, the two Bangladeshi nationals, Islam and Alom, are members of the proscribed Al Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) outfit, affiliated to parent terror organization Al Qaeda.

Police are on the lookout for both Islam and Alom, who are currently on the run.

Sources in the police further informed that no government officials were involved in the demolition and that a house near the madrasa in Darogar Alga village on Pakhiura Char was also razed to the ground.

"The locals voluntarily demolished the madrasa and the residence adjacent to it in a mark of strong resentment towards Jihadi activities," police added.

Jalaluddin Seikh, a cleric, who had enrolled the two Al Qaeda members to teach at the madrasa was arrested last month for allegedly radicalising youths in the state.

This is the fourth madrasa in Assam to be demolished in the past one month over alleged links with terror outfits and attempts to set up jihadi 'sleeper cells' in the state.

In August, three madrasas in Morigaon, Barpeta and Bongaigaon were razed by local authorities.

On September 4, following a meeting held at the Assam Police headquarters in the city, Director-General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta informed that some Muslim MLAs and heads of four Islamic organizations, that together run more than 1,000 private madrasas, had promised to take action against madrasas and mosques involved in "jihadi" activities.

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