Burdwan blast: Two JMB terrorists held in Bengal

In a major development in connection with the Khagragarh blast, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) officers on Tuesday got hold of a photograph of the mastermind Jamat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) activist Kausar Ali after around one-and-a-half years of the incident. The photograph was found from one of the two JMB sympathisers, who were arrested from Rabindra Nagar on Tuesday. 

Officers of JMB and the city police’s Special Task Force (STF) conducted a joint raid in Rabindra Nagar area and arrested the duo — Habibul Hoque (30) and Enamul Molla (25). 

Habibul is a resident of North 24-Parganas and Enamul is a resident of South 24-Parganas. Both of them had been staying in a rented house at Rabindra Nagar. 

It may be recalled that two JMB activists were killed and one was injured when an explosion took place in a rented house at Khagragarh in Burdwan on October 2, 2014. NIA had taken up the case and arrested 18 activists of the outfit from different parts of the country. But the investigating officers had failed to arrest the mastermind behind the explosion Kausar. 

They had managed to get photographs of many activists and announced reward for giving information about them after displaying the photographs at different places, but they didn’t get any photographs of Kausar and created his portrait parley.

On Tuesday, while interrogating the Habibul and Enamul, the duo initially refused to confess about their involvement with JMB. 

Later, they broke down before the investigating officers and the photographs were recovered from their possession. 

Two photographs of Kausar including one of a recent time were found. According to the sources in NIA, with the recovery of a photograph that has similarity with the portrait parley the task to catch Kausar will be easier. The investigating officers feel that after spending a few months outside the state, Kausar has one again taken shelter in the state. 

It may be mentioned that on March 30, 2015 NIA had filed the first charge sheet in connection to the incident before a special court and the second charge sheet was filed on December 14 in the same year. 

On Tuesday, there was hearing in the special court before framing of charges.

The hearing was, however, suspended due to absence of a counsel. 

Before the hearing process had started, nephew of one of the arrested person Giasuddin was found recording the submissions and he was subsequently interrogated.