Former Indian Secular Front (ISF) leader and ex-Trinamool Congress (TMC) MLA Arabul Islam's car was attacked with crude bombs and bricks in the Uriapara area of Bhangar, South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, on Saturday night, police confirmed on Sunday, 23 August. The attack occurred just one day after Islam publicly announced his resignation from the ISF, hinting at a return to his former party, the Trinamool Congress.

How the Attack Unfolded

According to Islam, he was returning home from a hospital when his car was targeted near the cemetery in Uriapara, under the Polerhat police station jurisdiction. He said bricks and two crude bombs were hurled at the vehicle. Neither bomb struck the car directly — both detonated on the road — but the brick assault shattered the car's glass. Islam narrowly escaped injury.

Several others were travelling with Islam at the time. Recognising the severity of the situation, the driver accelerated and fled the scene, averting what could have been a more serious incident. According to initial reports, no one in the vehicle sustained physical injuries. The incident, however, triggered panic among residents of the area.

Islam's Allegations and the ISF's Silence

Islam squarely blamed ISF MLA Nawshad Siddiqui and the party for orchestrating the attack. 'I left the ISF, and that's why they carried out the attack,' he told media persons on Sunday morning. He alleged that ISF workers exploited the cover of darkness to target his vehicle and claimed he had been under threat since announcing his exit from the party.

The ISF had not issued any response at the time of reporting. No one has been detained or arrested in connection with the incident.

Police Investigation Under Way

The Polerhat police station responded swiftly after receiving Islam's complaint, deploying personnel to the Uriapara site. Investigators are examining CCTV footage from the area to identify the perpetrators. Police stated they are probing both the identity of the attackers and the motive behind the assault, and have not yet confirmed who was responsible.

Background: A Long Political Journey

Islam was a prominent Trinamool Congress leader in Bhangar for years and served as a Member of the Legislative Assembly. Internal friction and disagreements with the local TMC leadership eventually pushed him toward the ISF, led by Nawshad Siddiqui. In the most recent Assembly elections, the ISF fielded him from the Canning Paschim constituency, but he lost. Political observers noted that his relationship with the ISF leadership had been visibly fraying since the electoral defeat.

On the day before the attack, Islam announced his departure from the ISF via a social media post, accusing the party leadership of 'dictatorial behaviour' and alleging that certain ISF workers in Bhangar had committed atrocities against ordinary residents. He said he was resigning from both his party position and primary membership in protest.

With Islam now publicly signalling a return to the TMC, the attack adds a volatile dimension to an already fractious political landscape in South 24 Parganas — a district that has historically witnessed sharp inter-party violence. Whether the investigation leads to arrests will be closely watched by both political circles and residents of Bhangar.