In a significant breakthrough in the Burdwan blasts case probe, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested the key motivator of the Burdwan module of Bangladesh-based terror group Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Zia-ul-Haque, who allegedly indoctrinated youth for training by showing jehadi videos related to Gujarat and Assam riots besides the killing of Rohingiyas in Myanmar.
In another major catch, the Assam Police arrested Burdwan blast case accused Sahanur Alom’s wife Sujana Begam in Guwahati. Alom is absconding and the NIA has recently declared an Rs5 lakh reward for anyone giving information leading to his arrest.
Haque’s arrest came after the technical investigation into his role has disclosed that he was also closely associated with top JMB commanders, including the absconding Bangladeshi JMB commander Sajid and Sakib, alias Suman. Sajid carries Rs10 lakh on his head.
The NIA team also conducted a raid on Haque’s house in Malda and recovered a laptop which is alleged to have been handed over to Haque by Karim after the Burdwan blast on October 2.
The agency is conducting further forensic analysis of the laptop to cull out the information contained in it. NIA officials said investigation into the role of Zia-ul-Haque showed that he was also closely associated with top Jamaat-ul- Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) commanders including absconding commander Sajid for whose arrest a cash reward Rs10 lakh has been announced by NIA.
Haque was arrested from Masjid Talha in Khagragarh of Burdwan district where he was hiding and was traced by NIA with the help of Central security agencies.
Haque, a resident of 16 Mile, Old Gurutolla, Kaaliachak police station of Malda, was a close associate of absconding accused persons Rezaul Karim and Yusuf Sheikh alias Moulana Yusuf. While Karim has a reward of Rs3 lakh, Sheikh carries a reward of Rs10 lakh on his head.
“It has been revealed during investigation that the accused Zia-ul-Haque was part of a jehadi training module where he was a key motivator for trainees in the jehadi ideology. He used to facilitate the training module by collecting jehadi videos related to Gujarat and Assam riots and killing of Rohingya Muslims” the NIA said in a statement.
These video clips were then shown to the trainees at Simullia and Mukhimnagar Madrassas, NIA added.
In Guwahati, Superintendent of Police, city (in-charge) Pranab Goswami said that Sujina Begum was nabbed while based on specific information last night from the Inter State Bus Terminus (ISBT) in city’s Boragaon area. “Both the Shahnur Alom and his wife were on the wanted list of NIA, which is probing the Burdwan blast,” he said adding that cases have been registered against the duo with the Special Operation Unit (SOU) of the Assam police.
“It’s a big catch for us. The arrest of Sujina will help us track the Jihadi activities in Assam and the people involved in the Islamic terror module operating here. We also hope to get vital information about her husband Shahnur Alom during interrogation,” said a seniorofficial of the Assam police.