Expressing shock and surprise retired IPS officer and founder of the Domkal College, Basantapur in Murshidabad alleged that Leu Yean Ahmed, one of the nine al-Qaeda operatives arrested by the National Investigating Agency (NIA), might have link with the ruling Trinamul Congress in the district otherwise it could have been difficult for the latter to arrange a contractual job as an electrician in the institute.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Murshid Hasan, Iyakub Biswas, Mosaraf Hossain (all from Ernakulam), and Najmus Sakib, Abu Sufiyan, Mainul Mondal, Leu Yean Ahmed, Al Mamun Kamal and Atitur Rehman from Murshidabad.

Najmus was a second year student in computer engineering in Domkol College, Basantapur while Leu Yean was an electrician at the institute.

While reacting to the arrest of the nine Pakistan-based terror outfit al-Qaeda the former additional director general (ADG) of police Islam also from Domkal told The Statesman today, “I am really shocked to know that two of the nine suspected terrorists have attachment with the college that I had founded in 1999 raising funds and contributing my own money from salary. My dream was to give modern education to the poor young students in the minority dominated belt after establishing the degree college.”

“How did the Trinamul Congress-ruled governing body of the college engage Leu Yean Ahmed as an electrician on contractual basis without verifying his credentials at a time when he was involved in suspicious activities? Local Trinamul leader Soumik Hossain, son of Mannan Hossain, former MP of the party, is the president of the governing body (GB) though he had no basic qualification to head the management of the college,” Mr Islam alleged.

“During the regime of Miss Mamata Banerjee no one can get a job in government-aided academic institution or elsewhere if he or she does not have any association with Trinamul Congress. Same thing has happened for appointment of Leu Yean,” he alleged.

“Mr Nazrul Islam had founded the college so that poor young students can get modern education there,” said Professor Debashis Banerjee, teacher-in-charge of the college. “Leu Yean was very poor and he used to undergo vocational training for several years in our college. After that he was given the job of an electrician on contractual arrangement. I have no idea about any political connection behind his appointment,” Banerjee said.

Contradicting both Islam and Banerjee, Soumik Hossain said, “I am the president of Ramna Basantapur College’s GB not the Domkol College Basantapur established by Nazrulsaheb.” Mr Islam confirmed that no academic institution in the name Ramna Basantapur College exist there. “He is lying,” Islam added.