Arrests in Assam in connection with Burdwan blast rises to ten

Arrests in Assam in connection with the October 2 Burdwan blast has gone upto ten with the key suspect and alleged financial brain of terror group Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Shahnoor Alam falling into the police dragnet.

The arrests began from October 10 when six persons were taken into custody from Barpeta district for their alleged involvement in the incident, Assam Director General of Police, Khagen Sarma said today.

The six included the father-son duo of Shiraj Ali Khan and Shaikhul Islam, Rafikul Islam, Jahuruddin, Golam Osmani and Sarbesh Ali.

Preliminary investigations had revealed that the arrested persons were part of a module operating under the patronisation of Jamat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) allegedly involved in the IED blast at Burdwan in West Bengal claiming two lives.

One of the arrested persons Shaikhul Islam alias Abdulla is an important member of the module operating in Assam and an associate of Shakil Ahmed alias Shamin, a JMB activist who died in the IED blast.

Shaikhul had been trained in Jihad in Simulia Madrassa of Burdwan and also in another Madrassa in Murshidabad, the police officer said.

Instructions had been allegedly given to Shaikhul to look for potential Muslim youths for motivation for Jihad.

Shakil Ahmed who died in the blast, had visited Barpeta on several occasions under the cover of conducting garment business for motivating the youths for terrorism, Sarma said.

A case was registered vide Special Operation Unit (SOU) PS Case No 1/2014 under sections IPC 120B/121/121 (A)/122/123 read with Sec 10/13/16/18(A)/18(B)/20 UA(P) Act on October 9.

With their surveillance police had evidence of operation of sleeper cell of JMB in the state, Assam DGP had said.|

The JMB formed in 1998 in Palampur in Bangladesh by Maulana Abdur Rahman was banned by the Bangladesh government in 2005 after attacks on NGOs, but it struck that year by exploding 500 bombs at 300 sites across that country.