Hizb-ut-Tahrir Terror Group Recruiting Youths In Several Indian States: NIA
Probe finds banned outfit holding secret religious gatherings to radicalise youths; several leaders believed to be operating from Bangladesh.
Published : November 10, 2025 at 6:16 PM IST
By Gautam Debroy
New Delhi: A National Investigation Agency (NIA) investigation has revealed that the Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) terror group has started recruiting youths in several states in India, including Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Madhya Pradesh.
It claimed that the banned group has started religious gatherings (Dars) to recruit youths and incite them for anti-India activities.
According to the NIA investigation, several top leaders of the outfit are now based in Bangladesh, and they have initiated the recruitment process. “Under the rule of the incumbent government, Bangladesh has become a major cause of concern for India following the presence of several radical Islamic leaders in the neighbouring country,” said a senior official from the security establishment.
According to the official, several anti-India Islamic organisations are presently active in Bangladesh, and they are trying to create terror across India. “They initially target India’s northeast and West Bengal. And after entering India via West Bengal and the Northeast, they try to sneak into other parts of the country to create terror,” the official added.
Echoing the view, renowned security expert Brigadier BK Khanna said that Bangladesh had become a breeding ground for anti-India activities. “Ever since the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government was dethroned from Bangladesh, the country has become a hotbed for Islamic terrorism. In fact, several Islamic terror outfits with active support from ISI are desperately trying to create terror in India,” said Brigadier Khanna to ETV Bharat.
“It is time that our border guarding agencies, especially the Border Security Force (BSF), should intensify vigilance along the porous India-Bangladesh border,” Khanna said.
The statement given by Khanna assumes significance following the fact that in the last few months, the BSF has detected and deported several illegal Bangladeshis when they were trying to sneak into India.
“The members of the terrorist organisations might try to sneak into India pretending to be Bangladeshi nationals,” said Khanna.
The activities of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, a banned organisation in India, have come to the fore following an ongoing investigation conducted by the NIA, which recently chargesheeted one accused and filed additional charges against five others in a 2023 Madhya Pradesh terror conspiracy case linked with the proscribed HuT terror organisation.
The case was originally registered in May 2023 by the Anti-Terror Squad (ATS), Bhopal, based on information that HuT members were clandestinely recruiting Muslim youth in Madhya Pradesh and other parts of India to overthrow the democratically elected government of India and establish a Sharia-based caliphate.
“Secret meetings were organised in the guise of religious gatherings (Dars) to spread anti-democratic ideology, promote communal hatred, and indoctrinate youth into committing acts of violent jihad. The group also undertook physical training and combat-style exercises to prepare themselves for future violent acts, as per the investigation,” the NIA said.
According to the security official, several members of the terror outfits are operating from abroad, and they are trying to come to an understanding with several other banned terror organisations active in India.
“We have provided intelligence inputs to several state governments and asked them to remain on alert so that any possible movements can be detected,” the official added.
Also Read
