Madrasa Demolished in India's Assam After Teacher Arrested Over Alleged Al-Qaeda Links
© AP Photo / CHANNI ANAND
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In Assam, the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government disbanded all state-run madrasas (Islamic institutions of learning) and converted them into regular schools in 2020. But a few private ones are still run by individuals.
A madrasa in the Bongaigaon district of India's Assam was demolished on Friday after local authorities arrested one of the teachers on charges of alleged links to al-Qaeda*, NDTV reported.
According to police, the accused, identified as Hafizur Rehman, was an active member of the terrorist organization who ran sleeper cells in the state.
#WATCH | Assam: Markazul Ma-Arif Quariayana Madrasa, located at Kabaitary Part-IV village in Bongaigaon district, being demolished
— ANI (@ANI) August 31, 2022
This is the 3rd Madrasa demolished by the Assam government following arrests of 37 persons including Imam and Madrasa teachers linked with AQIS/ABT pic.twitter.com/zTQiiicAne
The madrasa housed 224 students, who were evacuated from the premises a day before its demolition. The students will reportedly be provided residential facilities at other state-run institutions.
As per the order of Bongaigaon's deputy commissioner, unsafe conditions at the madrasa building and not having enough supplies to overcome a fire or an earthquake inside the campus were behind its demolition. However, media reports claim the supposed terrorism links played a major role in turning it into rubble after police found several documents linked to al-Qaeda on the premises.
This is the third instance of a madrasa being demolished this month in Assam after state chief Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that such institutions were turning into hubs of "terror activities."
As per the order of Bongaigaon's deputy commissioner, unsafe conditions at the madrasa building and not having enough supplies to overcome a fire or an earthquake inside the campus were behind its demolition. However, media reports claim the supposed terrorism links played a major role in turning it into rubble after police found several documents linked to al-Qaeda on the premises.
This is the third instance of a madrasa being demolished this month in Assam after state chief Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that such institutions were turning into hubs of "terror activities."
"Indoctrination of Muslim youths in private madrasas by Imams (Muslim teachers) from outside the state is alarming," Sarma said at a press conference earlier this month.
Sarma's comments came after Assam police busted five "terror" modules linked to the al-Qaeda-affiliated Bangladesh-based terror outfit the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) during the previous four months, with the arrests of two imams made in August.
The state police have so far arrested nearly 30 persons for allegedly running sleeper cells from private madrasas in Assam.
The state police have so far arrested nearly 30 persons for allegedly running sleeper cells from private madrasas in Assam.
*A terrorist organization banned in Russia
