Assam Miya Museum case: Three arrested, sent to police custody for alleged terror links

Assam: Assam Police has arrested three persons in connection with a private Miya Museum dedicated to the Miya Muslim community in Goalpara district on allegations of wrongful use of the premises and their suspected links with the Bangladeshi terrorist organization Ansarullah Bangla Team and Al-Qaeda, the officials said. The arrested persons have been identified as Mohar Ali, a resident of Goalpara and Abdul Baten of Dhubri and Tanu Dhadumia. Assam Police on Monday detained two persons Mohar Ali and Abdul Baten in connection with the same. 

The police further said that they have been charged in a case under sections 120 (B), 121, 121 (A), and 122 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 10 and 13 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The Nalbari district police on Wednesday produced them before the court in Nalbari. Superintendent of Police of Nalbari district Pabindra Kumar Nath told ANI that the police have taken them for two days` police remand."We have also produced two others before the court who were arrested by Tamulpur district police in connection with AQIS/ABT case, and the court sent both for three days police custody," Pabindra Kumar Nath said.

The special director general of Assam Police GP Singh took to Twitter and said that the two leaders will be questioned about their links with activities of terrorist outfits Ansarullah Bangla Team and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent."Sri Mohar Ali of Goalpara & Sri Abdul Baten of Dhubri have been detained in connection with Ghograpar PS Case no.163/22, U/S- 120(B)/121/121(A)/122 IPC, R/W-Sec -10/13 UA(P) Act. 

Further investigation and interrogation would be carried out about their association with AQIS/ABT," tweeted GP Singh. A private Miya Museum was recently inaugurated by Miya Parishat at the Dapkarbhita Lakhipur area in Assam`s Goalpara district.Notably, the district administration sealed the Miya museum on Tuesday, inaugurated a few days back, citing that the museum was opened in a PMAY house.

Earlier in 2020, expelled Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed sent a letter to the Director of the Museum and stated that one Museum, reflecting the culture and heritage of the people living in Char-Chaporis of Assam on the premises of Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, Guwahati was recommended by Departmentally Related Standing Committee on Education, 2020-21 in its 47th report on Art and Culture (Grant No. 27).

Those who are living in Char-Chaporis (riverine islands) of Brahmaputra are mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims and locals call them Miya.Rajib Gogoi, Circle Officer of Goalpara district, said that, as per the direction of the Deputy Commissioner of Goalpara district, we have sealed the PMAY-G house.

"The Miya Museum was opened in the PMAY house," the Circle Officer said.The Miya community in Assam comprises descendants of Muslim migrants from East Bengal (now Bangladesh) to Assam. The riverine areas (island) of the river Brahmaputra, locally known as Char-Chapori, cover about 3.60 lakh hectares of land and the chars follow a peculiar pattern of migration.