Burdwan blast mastermind's wife held in Dhaka

The women's wing chief of the terrorist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) who confessed to training at least 25 women in West Bengal has been arrested here, the media said Sunday.

Fatema Begum is said to be the wife of JMB commander Sajid, the prime accused in the Oct 2 blast at Burdwan in West Bengal that left two people dead and ignited a major probe into terror modules in the two countries.

Deputy Commissioner of Dhaka Metropolitan Police Masudur Rahman was quoted by The Daily Star as saying that Begum was caught Saturday night along with three associates from Sadarghat area here. 

Explosives, other bomb-making materials and jihadi literature were seized from their possession, Rahman added.

Joint Commissioner Monirul Islam later said that Begum was a training coordinator of JMB and she was with her husband, also the political chief of the militant group, during the Burdwan blast. 

Two suspected JMB militants were killed in the accidental blast in a house in Burdwan's Khagragarh area.

During interrogation, Begum reportedly confessed that she trained at least 25 women, including five Bangladeshis, in Burdwan's Simulia area.

"Three women trained those interested to join JMB. Fatema Begum was their coordinator," said Islam. 

"They sought members from the poor and middle income group (families). They convinced the poor to join JMB," said Islam.

Begum told police they were storing explosives with a view to launch attacks in line with the directives of their commanders in Bangladesh and India.

India's National Investigation Agency is also probing the case.