Guwahati:    Recent jailbreaks in Bangladesh, during which terrorist leaders escaped with the help of mobs, could have serious repercussions for eastern India, especially Assam and Tripura, warns the Society to Harmonise Aspirations for Responsible Engagement (SHARE).

The group of ideologues on Sunday released their recommendations on policy options for India in dealing with the current situation in Bangladesh from a northeast Indian perspective.

On August 6, mobs attacked Sherpur’s high-security prison, releasing over 500 inmates, while another jailbreak in Gazipur allowed 209 prisoners to escape. Though these incidents have not received widespread media coverage, they pose a significant threat to India’s northeastern states, which rely on a stable Bangladesh for their development.

SHARE, led by retired IAS officer Radha Krishna Mathur and including former officials such as Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Lt. Gen. Rana Pratap Kalita, and Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, has outlined policy recommendations for India in response to the situation in Bangladesh.

The report highlights that among the escapees was Ikramul Haque, known as Abu Talha, the India operations chief of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), and Niyamatullah, a commander of a Kolkata-based module. The status of other key figures, like Abdul Amin of Jamaatul Muslimeen and Zakaria Mondul of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, Bangladesh (JMB), remains unclear.

SHARE emphasizes that the recent activities of ABT and JMB in Assam and Tripura, where over 60 ABT members were arrested between 2022 and 2023, should alert India’s security agencies.

The think tank advocates addressing the root causes of unrest in Bangladesh, focusing on improving opportunities for its youth. SHARE suggests that India and Bangladesh should work together to avoid a zero-sum approach, which could harm both nations.

SHARE also notes heightened anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh, intensified by recent political events and perceptions of India’s influence. The think tank advises India to engage with Bangladesh’s interim government and the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) to maintain positive relations and avoid further diplomatic issues.