Two Barpeta men sentenced in Ansarullah Bangla team case by NIA court

Guwahati, Jan 24: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court in Guwahati has sentenced two individuals from Assam’s Barpeta district to imprisonment in connection with the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) case.

The judgment, delivered under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act [UA(P) Act], comes after investigations into the ABT module's operations in the district.

Mamunur Rashid, one of the convicts, received three years of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 1,000 under Section 19 of the UA(P) Act.

In case of non-payment, Rashid will serve an additional one month of simple imprisonment. He was also sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for the time he has already served—2 years, 10 months, and 13 days—under Sections 20, 38, and 39 of the UA(P) Act.

Additionally, Rashid received three months of simple imprisonment under Section 120(B) of the IPC.

The second accused, Mukibul Hussain, was sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment and fined Rs. 500. He will serve an additional 14 days of simple imprisonment under Section 120(B) of the IPC.

Like Rashid, Hussain was sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for the time already undergone—2 years, 8 months, and 13 days—under Sections 20, 38, and 39 of the UA(P) Act.

The case, registered in March 2022, revolves around an ABT module that was reportedly affiliated with Al Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). This module, led by Bangladeshi national Saiful Islam alias Haroon Rashid, was actively operating in Assam’s Barpeta district.

The NIA filed its first chargesheet against eight individuals in August 2022, followed by a supplementary chargesheet against two more in August 2023. Investigations and trials against other accused in the case are still ongoing, highlighting the continued efforts to dismantle terror networks in the region.