JMB men behind Burdwan blast

India's National Investigation Agency last night said the accused persons in the Burdwan town blast case and their associates were members of Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh.

In a press statement, the NIA, which is probing the October 2 explosion in a house in Burdwan, said investigation so far revealed the accused and their accomplices were members of JMB, a terrorist organisation proscribed in Bangladesh. They were preparing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) which were being transported to Bangladesh.

"NIA is conducting a thorough probe into the activities of JMB covering all aspects, including the funding of terror activities,” the statement said.

It said NIA was also considering announcement of cash rewards for any information leading to the arrest of the absconding accused of the case, including JMB members from Bangladesh.

The NIA said it completed initial phase of investigation into the blast.

Two persons -- Shakil Ahmed and Suvon Mandal alias Subhan -- both allegedly residents of Bangladesh, were killed while manufacturing IEDs. One person, Abdul Hakim alias Hassan, was injured and arrested besides three others, including two women.

The NIA Director General Sharad Kumar yesterday visited the house in Burdwan, where the blast had taken place leaving two persons dead, and reviewed the progress in the investigation agency's probe into the case.

He examined the rooms and went up to the terrace of the building. After spending about 30 minutes there, he visited another house at nearby Mathpara on Badsahi Road in Burdwan where 40 improvised hand grenades were found.

The NIA director general also visited the house which one of the dead terrorists Shakil had rented in Beldanga in Murshidabad. He also went to 'Burqa Ghar', apparently a burqa making unit run by Ahmed but suspected to have been used by him as a place to meet other accused persons.

The NIA investigators during a search operation jointly with the Burdwan district police found Improvised Explosive Devices from this house belonging to Rezaul Karim.

Three persons, including two women -- one of them the widow of a suspected terrorist who died in the blast -- were arrested and interrogated by the NIA.