Bangladeshi terrorist conducted recce in Bengaluru: NIA

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday claimed that Mahmud Hassan, a Bangladesh-based terrorist had conducted a recce of public places in Bengaluru, for terror acts during his nine months’ stay from November 2018 to July 2019.

The NIA said Mahmud and Mohamad Sa’ad Hussain, members of Ansar-al-Islam, a banned terrorist organization in Bangladesh, were arrested in Mizoram in July last year after they were caught by villagers in Mamit district suspecting them to be illegal migrants. The case was later handed over to the NIA.

“Both the accused illegally crossed the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura in November, 2018. They concealed their location and identity based on fake Aadhaar cards. These fake Aadhaar cards were given to them by their handlers in Bangladesh. Investigation further revealed that accused Mahmud Hassan alias Shariful Islam had traveled from Agartala to Bengaluru in pursuance to
conspiracy of terrorist acts in India and stayed in Bengaluru between November, 2018 and July, 2019.

During his stay in Bengaluru, he conducted a recce of some public places in Bengaluru,” the NIA said in a statement.

The agency filed a charge sheet against the duo on Friday in a special NIA court in Aizawl, Mizoram.

The statement said that investigation also revealed that on the instructions of his handler, the accused financially assisted an arrested member of Ansarullah Bangla, another terrorist group, who is lodged in Kolkata jail.

“Both the accused later criminally conspired, as per the directions of their handlers in Bangladesh and tried to procure weapons from various places in Tripura and Mizoram in pursuance of the conspiracy of committing terrorist acts in India.

During investigation, large amount of incriminating documents were recovered from their digital devices,” said the statement.

The NIA said Mahmud alis Shariful Islam, 25, hails from Barherchar village in Narsingdi district (Dhaka division) while Hussain, 31, was a resident of Doharpar village in Magura district in Bangladesh.

Both have been charged under Section 120b, 419, 465, 468, and 471 of IPC, Section 14 of Foreigners Act and Section 18 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act in a case (No. RC-11/ 2019) re-registered in NIA’s Guwahati office. The NIA is probing the activities of Ansar-al-Islam in India.