New Delhi, March 25: The Northeast, particularly Assam, faces a greater threat from Bangladeshi terror outfits during this election, intelligence agencies have warned.

The concoction of ethnic difficulties, illegal migration and power politics make the threat perception from across the border more potent for Assam.

At the helm of affairs is the Jagarat Muslim Janata Bangladesh which was believed to be relatively dormant after its chief, Siddique ul Islam alias Bangla Bhai, was hanged in 2007, sources said.

The other outfits include the Hizb-ul-Tahir, at least one cadre of which was suspected to have been involved in triggering the Bangladesh Rifles mutiny last month, the Jamaat ul Mujahideen and the Hizbut Touhid which believes in the Taliban’s philosophy of an Islamic state.

In the past two months, these outfits have held six meetings at different locations in Bangladesh, including Moulvi Bazaar, Sylhet, Sultanganj and Khulna, to discuss the strategy for intervention.

They have planned entry and escape routes also, the sources said, adding that the terrorists may enter the country dressed as cowherds.

Some reports indicated that the outfits were planning to pass through Assam’s Nagaon, Bokakhat, Kokrajhar and Bongaigaon areas while entering through the usual smuggling routes in Tripura.

While returning, they may use the Kishanganj sector in Bihar that adjoins North Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district.

A recent incident in Bangladesh in which its rapid action battalion seized a huge cache of arms and ammunition from a mosque has not escaped the attention of Indian agencies.

What is even more disturbing is the report that Northeast militant outfits, including the Ulfa and the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), may assist the Bangladeshi outfits with arms and ammunition.

Representatives of some Northeast insurgent groups were present in four of the six meetings in Bangladesh, the sources said.

Since Bangladesh has, of late, acted against Indian militants, the Ulfa, which is defeated at home, may go the extra mile to disrupt the elections, they added.

While some reports indicated that the NSCN (Isak-Muivah) could be sucked in as well, sources pointed out that the Naga rebel leaders were locked in negotiations with representatives of the Centre in Zurich.

“The issue this time is very complex in the light of circumstances, particularly in Assam, and the threat is definitely higher than in previous years,” a senior intelligence official here said.

It is feared that the terrorists may also exploit political issues in Assam such as last years’s Darrang riots.