’Will gouge eyes, cut hands if’: Bangladeshi Islamist threatens India, tells Mamata Banerjee to ‘free Bengal from Modi’

The chief of the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), an al-Qaeda-affiliated terrorist outfit in Bangladesh, asked West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to “free Bengal from clutches of Modi”, and “declare independence”. The chief also threatened India, asking it to avoid any tussle with its neighbour Bangladesh.

The ABT chief, Jashimuddin Rahmani, was recently released from prison by the Muhammad Yunus led interim government in Bangladesh. 

'Will gouge eyes, cut hands if...'

In a video message, he could be heard warning India and saying, “If you look at Bangladesh, we will gouge eyes. If you stretch a hand, we will cut the hand, and if you take any step, we will break the leg”

He could be seen sitting on a hospital bed in the two-minute video. He claimed that Bangladesh was “no other Sikkim, or Bhutan, but a country with 18 crore Muslims.” 

“I am warning India…Bangladesh is not like Sikkim or Bhutan. It is a country of 18 crore Muslims…If you take a step towards Bangladesh, we will tell China to close the chicken’s neck (Siliguri corridor). We will tell the Seven Sisters (Northeastern states)to join the freedom movement,” said Rahmani.

'Free Bengal from Modi'

Jashimuddin Rahmani said he will tell West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee “to free Bengal from Modi’s rule and declare independence”.

Asking Kashmir to get ready for freedom, the ABT chief made a mention of Khalistanis as well. "I will tell the Sikhs that your time has come, now call for freedom; to those Sikhs who are Khalistanis, in every province of India, your time has come,” he added.

The pro-al Qaeda leader said Pakistan and Afghanistan “will help Kashmir gain independence”. He said, “Tell Kashmir to get ready for freedom…We will work for the freedom of Kashmir."

‘Tawhid will unite’

The Islamic radical also said that Bangladesh does not wish to have conflict with any country in the world, including India, China, Europe and the US, but will retaliate if they are challenged or neglected.

“If we are challenged, if we are neglected, if chaos is created in our country, then the Tawhid population of Bangladesh, just like it has risen against (Sheikh) Hasina, to protect the freedom of Bangladesh, to protect Islam in Bangladesh, the Tawhid will unite to face you in the field,” said Jashimuddin Rahmani in the video.

Jashimuddin Rahmani's arrest

In 2013, Jashimuddin Rahmani was arrested on the charge of abetting the murder of blogger Rajib Haider. He was blamed for multiple such targeted killings of secular bloggers and journalists between 2013 and 2016, for which ABT claimed responsibility. Rahmani was released on August 27, 2024, after Muhammed Yunus lead the interim government in Bangladesh, following Sheikh Hasina's exit.

According to India Today, a Dhaka based fact-checker has confirmed the authenticity of the video, which has been doing the rounds on social media platform X.