Most wanted 'Neo JMB' leader held in Bogra

Police arrested top “Neo JMB” leader Shyamol, a death row convict of series bomb blasts in Bangladesh and one of the main accused of Burdawan blast in India, from Bogra’s Nandigram upazila early today.

The arrestee Abu Sayeed alias Karim alias Shyamol, 35, is a Shura (supreme council) member of “Neo JMB” and its chief of southern region in Bangladesh, Md Asaduzzaman, superintendent of police in Bogra, told The Daily Star.

Acting on a tip-off, detectives from the Police Headquarters with the help of local police arrested the most wanted militant kingpin in Omarpur Hat area on Bogra-Natore highway around 1:30am, the police official said.

He along with his associate was heading towards Borga by riding a motorcycle from Rajshahi. However, Shyamal’s associate managed to flee the scene, the SP said.

Police seized a 9mm pistol, a magazine, several rounds of bullets, a knife and the motorcycle from his possession.

India National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for information on whereabouts of Shyamal as the most wanted accused of the Burdwan blast case.

Police Supper Md Asaduzzaman unveiled the facts while addressing a press conference at his Bogra office this noon.

According to the list of West Bangal Police, he is known as Shyamal Sheikh, police source said. Apart from this, he is identified as Abu Sayeed alias Abdul Karim alias, Toyab alias Talha Sheikh alias Hossain alias Sajid alias Denger Sakil alias Mokhles alias Shafik, the source added.

Shyamal was born at Chandpur village in Kumarkhali upazila of Kushtia. Many people including the neo-JMB leader Sohel Mahfiz engaged in the militant activities after being encouraged by Shyamal, police said. 

In 2002, he joined the “mainstream” JMB and became the Rajshahi regional commander in 2004 and took part in the killing mission led by Siddiqur Rahman Bangla Bhai in Baghmara upazila in the name of eliminating Sarbahara.

He took part in the August 17, 2005 series bomb blasts as the JMB chief of Noagaon area and blasted bombs at the district court premises. He was awarded death sentence in 2007 for his involvement in the series bomb blast carried out across the country.  Since then he went into hiding in the neighboring India, the police official said.

He got married a daughter of Murshidabad region’s JMB member Eadul, in 2009 and resumed his militant activities there.

He was appointed the JMB leader of India’s Nadia district in 2010.

In 2012, Shyamal also took control of the JMB group’s Birbhum and Bardhaman districts.

In 2014, he was shown accused in a police case filed for his involvement in the October 2 massive bomb blasts at Khagragarh in Burdwan town of West Bengal.

Later, he fled back to Bangladesh as the Indian NIA announced Rs one lakh bounty for information leading to his capture.

In 2015, he joined the ‘neo-JMB’ and he became the southern regional chief in 2017 for his organisational skills, the police official said.

Shyamal placed on 3-day remand

A Bogra court placed Shyamal on three-day remand this evening.

Judge Abu Raihan granted the remand when Shyamal was produced before it by the detective branch of police with a 10-day prayer.