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Hindu Voice Team: A fresh security controversy has emerged in Bangladesh over the whereabouts of Maulana Ikramul Haque, alias Abu Talha, whom Bangladeshi authorities have identified as a senior figure of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
Former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s son, Sajeeb Wazed, has alleged that Ikramul is moving freely in Bangladesh despite having been unaccounted for since his release on bail. The allegation has triggered concern in India, where Mohammad Ikramul Hoque is listed on the National Investigation Agency’s (NIA) Most Wanted list under several aliases, including Abdulla Talha, Jakir, Musfiq, Mansoor and Masum Bhai.
Ikramul was arrested with his wife, Faria Afreen, in Dhaka’s Madartek area on May 30, 2023. Bangladesh’s Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit subsequently identified him as a senior AQIS operative and alleged that he had been involved in militant activities in India.
According to Bangladeshi investigators, Ikramul had studied at Darul Uloom Deoband in India after travelling there in 2018 and subsequently became involved with AQIS. Investigators also alleged that he used multiple identities and had obtained an Indian passport under the name Nur Hossain, with an address in Dinhata, Cooch Behar, West Bengal.
A regional terrorism assessment by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies has also described Ikramul as a senior AQIS figure and noted his alleged connections to militant networks in India.
After his arrest, Ikramul was held at Kashimpur High Security Central Jail. Bangladesh-based The Business Standard reported that he was released on bail on October 10, 2024.
Nearly 22 months later, Bangladeshi law-enforcement agencies reportedly still do not have confirmed information about his whereabouts.
The case has prompted questions over how an individual whom Indian and Bangladeshi authorities have described as a senior AQIS operative could remain untraceable for such an extended period.
According to The Business Standard, Ikramul’s father, Mohammad Zainal Abedin, said his son had been teaching at a madrasa in the Sanarpar area of Narayanganj after his release, although he could not identify the institution by name. Police have reportedly heard the same information but have not confirmed his location.
The case has particular significance for India because investigators have previously linked Ikramul to AQIS-related recruitment and alleged militant modules.
Bangladeshi authorities have claimed that he was connected to militant activities in India, while Indian investigations have reportedly linked him to suspected AQIS networks operating in several states. A regional security assessment noted that Bangladeshi nationals arrested in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh had allegedly identified Ikramul as an influence or recruiter.
The NIA’s official database continues to list Mohammad Ikramul Hoque among wanted individuals.
Sajeeb Wazed has used the episode to question Bangladesh’s handling of suspected extremist networks, arguing that the disappearance of a person described by security agencies as a senior AQIS figure raises serious questions about law enforcement.
The issue comes amid broader concerns over militant networks in the region and the possibility that Bangladesh could again be used as a base for extremist recruitment and organisational activity.
