Bardhaman blast accused made bombs in burqa factory

NEW DELHI: The Bardhaman blast accused were not just using madrassas as training centre for terrorists but even assembling bombs in the garb of running burqa (veil) stitching units.
National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested four Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operatives in connection with the October 2, 2014 blasts. The accused have revealed to NIA that they had set up a burqa stitching unit as a front for assembling bombs in Beldanga, West Bengal.This unit was also being used to recruit people for terror activities and training them.
The accused have been identified as Dalim Sheikh alias Faijul Hoque Sheik, Motiur Rehman alias Noor Alam, Habibur Rehman and Ghiyasuddin Munshi.
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“JMB had set up a tailoring unit in which its members used to stitch burqas. This, however, was a front for using the site to assemble bombs. The unit was run by Motiur Rehman, a close associate of Shakil Ghazi who was killed in the October 2 blast. Rehman was also responsible for maintenance of hideouts and recruitment,” said an NIA officer.
Dalim Sheikh and Habibur Rehman, according to NIA, are top commanders of JMB and were involved in recruitment, training and arranging of finances. Dalim is a full-time member of JMB and was involved in setting up bases and hideouts for the outfit, raising and collecting funds, radicalizing Indian citizens and providing tactical and material support to their senior Bangladeshi associates in spreading the network of JMB in India, said NIA sources.

The two women who were arrested in connection with the Bardhaman blast case.
“Dalim was heading the Nanur Madarsa in Bolpur. He used to spot potential recruits and then give them "daawat" (invitation) to JMB,” said the officer.
Habibur, on the other hand, is a very close associate of JMB India chief Sajid alias Sheikh Rahmatulla who was arrested earlier by NIA. He used to maintain and run the terrorist training camp from Mukimnagar Madarsa in Murshidabad district, said sources.
READ ALSO: NIA makes first arrest in Bardhaman blast probe
Munshi, according to NIA, was a trained JMB member along with his wife and was engaged in providing hideouts to senior members of the outfit.

Sheikh Samim, an accused in Bardhaman blast case, in police custody.
NIA has till now arrested 16 people in the case and found that the outfit had established its network in different districts of West Bengal, Assam and Jharkhand — particularly in Murshidabad, Nadia, Malda, Birbhum and Bardhaman of West Bengal and Barpetta of Assam apart from Sahibganj and Pakur of Jharkhand.
The investigations have also revealed that senior members of JMB had established terrorist training centres and bomb making units in Beldanga and Mukimnagar of Murshidabad, Nanur of Birbhum and Khagraghar and Simulia of Bardhaman district.