Ex-Congress minister Bhumidhar Barman paid money to Jehadi operative to build a Madrassa in Assam

GUWAHATI: Former Assam minister and senior congress leader, Bhumidhar Barman admitted of paying money to Jehadi operative for building a Madrassa in the state.
Police recently arrested Riazul Islam Choudhury from Nalbari district of Lower Assam. He is suspected to be a Jehadi operative.

Barman said,” I paid Rs 50,000 to Riazul as he came to me to seek fund for building a madrassa. I did not know much about him.”

Riazul was running a Madrassa in the riverine area and did not have any document to prove his identity.

Leaders of regional party Bodoland Peoples Front (BPF) met chief minister, Tarun Gogoi and sought security of the leaders and Bodoland areas following reports of Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) targeting around 50 Bodo leaders.

Parliamentary Secretary (Home) Atuwa Munda told ET, “We have got some reports and accordingly we are assessing it. Some Bodo leaders are said be in the hit list of the JMB. We are talking all necessary precautions.”

The sixth schedule area of Bodoland Territorial Administration Districts (BTAD) in Western Assam has seen two ethnic riots between Bengali speaking Muslims and Bodos in 2012 and 2014.

BPF leader Parmila Rani Brahma said law and order is the subject of the state and BTC administration does not deal with it. “The government must ensure the safety and security of people and leaders in Bodoland. We are part of Assam.”