India captures key Burdwan suspect
M Abul Kalam Azad
Investigators
of Bangladesh and India are hunting for four hardcore Jamaatul
Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operatives, who helped their Indian
associates establish a militant network across West Bengal.
The four are Sohel Mahfuz, Boma Mizan, Salahuddin Salehin and Tariqul. They all are believed to have been involved in the October 2 Burdwan blast.
“We have been trying to arrest all those who are involved in militancy activities but these four persons have become our main focus as they are dangerous for both the countries,” a lead investigator of Bangladesh told The Daily Star recently.
“Both sides are sharing intelligence on the possible movement of the militants,” he said.
The four names were common on the lists of militants and criminals exchanged by Dhaka and Delhi last month, said the investigator who was among the seven-member delegation that visited Kolkata to share information on militancy and probe the blast.
Another person, Sohag Gazi, was also on both the lists. But he was one of the two people killed while making bombs in the Burdwan blast. Originally from Tangail in Bangladesh, Sohag was an explosives expert of the JMB, he said.
“In India, his name was Shakil Ahmed,” said the investigator.
Zahidul Islam alias Boma Mizan, another explosives expert of the JMB, was arrested in 2009. But he along with Salauddin alias Salehin escaped after armed JMB men ambushed a prison van in Mymensingh's Trishal on February 23. They later crossed the border and were operating mainly from India, according to investigators.
Salehin, known for his organisational capacity, was an accused in the case filed for the assault on Prof Humayun Azad on February 27, 2004.
Tariqul was little known until the investigation into the Burdwan blast began. He came to the limelight after Indian police arrested Sajid Rahmatullah alias Masum, a key suspect in the blast case.
Tariqul was jailed for 10 years along with Sajid for a robbery in Tungipara of Gopalganj in 2005. Two years later, he was out on bail and fled to India.
“Like Sajid, Tariqul too is a good organiser and played a crucial role in organising militancy in India,” said an intelligence agency official engaged in anti-militancy drive.
Another front-ranking JMB leader Sohel Mahfuz, who reportedly ran the outfit for a few years after the execution of Shaikh Abdur Rahman, was the first among the four to take shelter in India. He has been operating from there to avoid arrest.
Although none of them could be arrested, Indian investigators on Friday night arrested Sahanur Alam, a key suspect in the Burdwan blast and an alleged financial brain of the JMB.
India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with police and central security agencies, arrested him from his brother-in-law's house in Assam, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
Alam is one of the 12 Burdwan blast suspects for whom the NIA has announced bounty.
These militants have been staying in West Bengal for the last few years and getting all kinds of support from the emerging militants and sympathisers there. They came to Bangladesh whenever it was safe for them, the investigator said.
According to some investigators, they were manufacturing bombs in India with the aim of carrying out subversive activities in Bangladesh. “We are working on whether some of their explosives are already in the country,” said one of them.
“They have gone into hiding as law enforcers of the two countries are now launching coordinated drives,” he said.
All the four suspects have taken up fake names to move about safely and dodge police in India. Sohel Mahfuz is using Nasrullah, Boma Mizan is Kauser, Salahuddin Salehin is Mahin and Tariqul is Suman, said the investigator.
Apart from the four, an absconding militant Talha Sheikh is being considered a "big fish" of the JMB, said an official of the Detective Branch of police.
A Rs 10-lakh reward has been announced for the Burdwan blast suspect, who is believed to have trained jihadi recruits in different madrasas in West Bengal. Talha has two addresses in West Bengal -- one in Nadia district and another in Birbhum.
"We have reasons to believe that these four people are running the JMB with its other top-notches behind bars at the moment. Their arrest will weaken the organisational strength of the outfit," said Mahfuzur Rahman, assistant inspector general of police, who too was in the seven-member delegation.
Sahanur Alam
The four are Sohel Mahfuz, Boma Mizan, Salahuddin Salehin and Tariqul. They all are believed to have been involved in the October 2 Burdwan blast.
“We have been trying to arrest all those who are involved in militancy activities but these four persons have become our main focus as they are dangerous for both the countries,” a lead investigator of Bangladesh told The Daily Star recently.
“Both sides are sharing intelligence on the possible movement of the militants,” he said.
The four names were common on the lists of militants and criminals exchanged by Dhaka and Delhi last month, said the investigator who was among the seven-member delegation that visited Kolkata to share information on militancy and probe the blast.
Another person, Sohag Gazi, was also on both the lists. But he was one of the two people killed while making bombs in the Burdwan blast. Originally from Tangail in Bangladesh, Sohag was an explosives expert of the JMB, he said.
“In India, his name was Shakil Ahmed,” said the investigator.
Zahidul Islam alias Boma Mizan, another explosives expert of the JMB, was arrested in 2009. But he along with Salauddin alias Salehin escaped after armed JMB men ambushed a prison van in Mymensingh's Trishal on February 23. They later crossed the border and were operating mainly from India, according to investigators.
Salehin, known for his organisational capacity, was an accused in the case filed for the assault on Prof Humayun Azad on February 27, 2004.
Tariqul was little known until the investigation into the Burdwan blast began. He came to the limelight after Indian police arrested Sajid Rahmatullah alias Masum, a key suspect in the blast case.
Tariqul was jailed for 10 years along with Sajid for a robbery in Tungipara of Gopalganj in 2005. Two years later, he was out on bail and fled to India.
“Like Sajid, Tariqul too is a good organiser and played a crucial role in organising militancy in India,” said an intelligence agency official engaged in anti-militancy drive.
Another front-ranking JMB leader Sohel Mahfuz, who reportedly ran the outfit for a few years after the execution of Shaikh Abdur Rahman, was the first among the four to take shelter in India. He has been operating from there to avoid arrest.
Although none of them could be arrested, Indian investigators on Friday night arrested Sahanur Alam, a key suspect in the Burdwan blast and an alleged financial brain of the JMB.
India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) along with police and central security agencies, arrested him from his brother-in-law's house in Assam, reports our New Delhi correspondent.
Alam is one of the 12 Burdwan blast suspects for whom the NIA has announced bounty.
These militants have been staying in West Bengal for the last few years and getting all kinds of support from the emerging militants and sympathisers there. They came to Bangladesh whenever it was safe for them, the investigator said.
According to some investigators, they were manufacturing bombs in India with the aim of carrying out subversive activities in Bangladesh. “We are working on whether some of their explosives are already in the country,” said one of them.
“They have gone into hiding as law enforcers of the two countries are now launching coordinated drives,” he said.
All the four suspects have taken up fake names to move about safely and dodge police in India. Sohel Mahfuz is using Nasrullah, Boma Mizan is Kauser, Salahuddin Salehin is Mahin and Tariqul is Suman, said the investigator.
Apart from the four, an absconding militant Talha Sheikh is being considered a "big fish" of the JMB, said an official of the Detective Branch of police.
A Rs 10-lakh reward has been announced for the Burdwan blast suspect, who is believed to have trained jihadi recruits in different madrasas in West Bengal. Talha has two addresses in West Bengal -- one in Nadia district and another in Birbhum.
"We have reasons to believe that these four people are running the JMB with its other top-notches behind bars at the moment. Their arrest will weaken the organisational strength of the outfit," said Mahfuzur Rahman, assistant inspector general of police, who too was in the seven-member delegation.
Published: 12:01 am Sunday, December 07, 2014
Last modified: 12:39 am Sunday, December 07, 2014
