West Bengal Leader of the Opposition Ritabrata Banerjee on Tuesday, 11 August approached Bhabani Bhawan — the headquarters of West Bengal Police in Kolkata — after receiving repeated death threats over WhatsApp from numbers traced to Bangladesh. A formal complaint has been lodged, according to police sources.

Nature of the Threats

According to reports, the threatening calls began as early as 3 May and continued through 9 August — spanning over three months. The callers reportedly warned Banerjee that he would meet the same fate as Abhijit Roy, the Bangladeshi free-thinking blogger who was hacked to death near Dhaka University on 26 February 2015 while returning from the Amar Ekushey Book Fair. Roy's wife, Rafida Ahmed Bonya, was also seriously injured in that attack; members of the banned militant organisation Ansar Al Islam were later convicted for the killing.

Banerjee initially did not treat the calls as a serious threat, but the sustained pattern of intimidation eventually prompted him to seek police intervention, sources said.

The JeM Arrest Connection

The threats arrive against a charged security backdrop in West Bengal. In a separate but related development, a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) operative identified as Hamim Mondal and two associates were recently arrested from the state. Investigators reportedly found that the group had been mapping the movements, travel routes, and residence of Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari — apparently to identify gaps in his security cover.

Notably, the target has now reportedly shifted to the Leader of the Opposition, raising concerns about a broader pattern of cross-border militant activity directed at senior West Bengal politicians.

Speculation Over the Perpetrators

There is speculation, according to reports, that the organisation responsible for Abhijit Roy's 2015 murder — Ansar Al Islam — could be connected to the threats against Banerjee. However, police have not confirmed any such link and have launched a formal investigation to determine which individual or group is behind the calls.

Exiled Bangladeshi writer Taslima Nasrin had recently spoken about Abhijit Roy's case during a visit to Kolkata, underscoring the continued sensitivity around the issue of threats to free thinkers originating from Bangladesh.

Political Context

Banerjee leads the rebel but majority faction of the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) and currently serves as West Bengal's Leader of the Opposition. His decision to approach Bhabani Bhawan publicly signals that the threat level has crossed a threshold that can no longer be managed privately.

West Bengal Police are now investigating the source of the cross-border calls; findings are expected to be shared with central security agencies given the international dimension of the case.