Dhubri, Assam – The tranquil border district of Dhubri has been shaken by the arrest of a local school teacher on serious charges of having links with jihadi organisations.
Shah Alam Sarkar, a teacher at Lakhimari Middle School, was apprehended by Dhubri police, with authorities suspecting his connections to Jamaat-e-Islami, a prominent political and religious group based across the border in Bangladesh.
The arrest has sent ripples of concern through the community, raising alarms about the potential infiltration of extremist elements in Assam’s vulnerable border regions.
Sarkar, a resident of Lakhimari village, which lies perilously close to the India-Bangladesh border, is currently under intense interrogation. The police are painstakingly piecing together the details of his alleged network and the depth of his involvement.
The investigation is also scrutinising the history of Lakhimari Middle School, previously known as Lakhimari Pre ME Madrasa.
The school was officially converted into a general school by a notification from the education department on December 13, 2023, and police are now investigating whether its past or present status was exploited to facilitate these alleged clandestine links.
In a parallel and equally worrying development, another teacher from the same school, Hazrat Ali, has reportedly gone into hiding. The police have launched a massive manhunt for him, as his disappearance further fuels suspicions and intensifies the ongoing probe. Dhubri police have assured the public that they are leaving no stone unturned to unearth the entire network and are fully committed to ensuring the safety and security of the residents.
As the investigation progresses, more details are expected to emerge, shedding light on the full scope of the alleged extremist activities in the area.
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