Burdwan blast prime suspect held in Bogra

A key accused in the 2014 Burdwan blast case has been detained by Bangladeshi law enforcers in Bogra. The detainee, identified as Abu Syed, is a leader of the banned militant outfit Jamaa'tul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), Bogra police Detective Branch (DB) sources say. He headed the group's southern regional unit. Syed, who used aliases such as Karim, Talha and Shaymol, is also a Shura member of JMB, police said. Bogra's Additional Superintendent of Police (sadar circle and media) Sonaton Chakrabarty said: “Syed led the JMB in Bangladesh's southern region, and is also a Shura member. "Syed, a prime suspect in the Burdwan blast case, is wanted by Indian police.” He said a joint team of Bogra DB police and the intelligence department of the police headquarters raid Omorpur area under Nandigram upazila on Friday night after being tipped off about the militant's presence there. “Syed was detained around 1am," he said. "A 9mm pistol, a magazine, bullets, a knife and an unregistered motorcycle were seized.” Two men were killed and another was injured in an explosion at a house in Khagragarh in West Bengal's Burdwan on October 2. Two women were also arrested from the house. Investigators said they believed all five were members of JMB. The militant group is believed to have been using West Bengal as a sanctuary. JMB is also suspected to have established ties with several madrasas in the bordering districts of Malda, Murshidabad and Nadia.