Who Are The JMB? Banned Bangladesh Group May Be Behind Waqf Protests, Says Indian Intelligence | Exclusive

Last Updated:April 14, 2025, 22:15 IST

Intelligence sources said foreign groups like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh may have supplied arms, imparted training, and spread propaganda across Bangladesh border routes and the Sundarbans delta

People gather during a protest against the Waqf (Amendment) Act. The JMB frames its ideology as a "defence of Islam", exploiting communal tensions to deepen polarisation. (Image for representation: PTI)

Indian intelligence has not ruled out foreign interference in the communal violence triggered during protests against the Waqf (Amendment) Act in parts of West Bengal’s Murshidabad and, now, South 24 Parganas district.

According to intelligence sources, groups like Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) may have supplied arms, imparted training, and spread propaganda across Bangladesh border routes and the Sundarbans delta. But, what is the JMB?

The sources said the JMB — a banned militant group that operates out of Bangladesh — collaborates with the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HuJI), and even ISIS affiliates for training and logistics. They said the 2014 Burdwan blast revealed ties to the LeT, with explosives smuggled from the neighbouring country.

They further said the JMB frames its ideology as a “defence of Islam", exploiting communal tensions and raising “anti-Hindu" slogans to deepen polarisation. It has a hybrid model – online radicalisation with offline community exploitation – that poses a significant threat to regional security, they added.

HOW DOES JMB OPERATE?

Let’s take a closer look at how the JMB functions:

Intelligence sources said the JMB uses a hybrid approach in radicalisation with a mix of online and offline tactics. It recruits tech-savvy youth through messaging platforms such as Telegram and WhatsApp, sharing encrypted messages and ISIS-inspired content to glorify violence.The sources said the group exploits filter bubbles and echo chambers, where algorithms push extremist content to users already engaging with radical material. Hence, vulnerable individuals, especially those experiencing social alienation, are groomed online. Studies show that lone actors radicalised online often lack offline networks, but are influenced by curated extremist content.They said the JMB’s ground operations focus on exploiting local institutions and socioeconomic gaps, and have penetrated madrasa and Muslim groups. Unregulated madrasas in border districts like Murshidabad and Dhubri serve as fronts for indoctrination.Radical clerics preach the JMB’s Salafi ideology, framing violence as jihad for sharia, the sources said. Unemployed youth in impoverished areas are lured with financial incentives or promises of purpose. For example, JMB operatives in Assam’s Dhubri used fake currency and firearms to recruit members.Location : First Published:

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