An Indian national daily yesterday reported that Abu Talha alias Fahim alias Pakhi, the acting chief of banned militant outfit Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) arrested last week in Dhaka by the Detective Branch of police, was no other than the mastermind of last year’s Burdwan blast.
The National Intelligence Agency (NIA) of India in its charge sheet submitted on March 30 against 21 persons including four Bangladeshi nationals had mentioned about Talha Saikh as a fugitive accused. His name is mentioned at number 19.
DB police arrested Talha, son of detained JMB chief Saidur Rahman, along with seven other senior leaders from Uttara of the capital. The detectives are interrogating them in remand.
Even Talha’s photos shared by the NIA and the DB police have similarities, West Bengal-based Bangla newspaper Anandabazar said.
The blast took place at a rented house in Khagragarh of Burdwan district of West Bengal on October 2 last year killing two JMB leaders and injuring another.
Militant group JMB was banned in Bangladesh in 2005. Detectives say it started operation in West Bengal the following year.
The Anandabazar report says that the NIA suspects that arrested Talha is Talha Saikh, whom they are searching for. The agency is now analysing the clues and how Talha can be brought to India for trial.
The report mentioned that the NIA had declared Tk10 lakh as award for giving information about Talha.
The NIA says that Talha used to conduct militant activities by setting up a den in Belpur area of Birbhum district. He went into hiding after the Burdwan blast, reads the report.
It finally says the picture of Talha which was circulated by the NIA and the one published after the arrest of eight JMB men in Dhaka also have some similarities.
When contacted, Mahfuzul Islam, additional deputy commissioner of DB police, said they had no such information.
“We have not found any clue that the arrested acting JMB chief has link with the Burdwan blast. We will definitely cross check the matter,” Mahfuz told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
