JMB militant ‘Boma Mizan’ held in India

Banned Islamic outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) leader Mohammed Jahidul Islam who was snatched by fellow militants from a prison van four years ago in Mymensingh, has finally been arrested in India.

National Investigation Agency (NIA), arrested Jahidul Islam Mizan, 36, at Ramanagara near Bengaluru on Monday, according to Indian media citing an NIA press release.

Later the special NIA court in Bengaluru granted five days transit remand for the bomb expert, who has multiple aliases including Kausar and Munna.

It further said that the suspect would be produced in the special NIA court in Patna in the coming days.

“The 36-year-old was arrested from his house in Ramanagara. His house was also searched and some electronic devices besides traces of explosives have been recovered during the search. He is the top leader of JMB in India and is wanted in Burdwan blast case and in many other cases in Bangladesh also,” an NIA release stated.

Mizan was arrested following information squeezed from Abdul Karim alias Chhota, 19, of Elizabad district in Murshidabad and Mustafizur Rehman Shaheen alias Tuhin, 37, of Birbhum of West Bengal who was arrested by NIA on October 3, the statement read.

Earlier on February 23, 2014, an armed gang ambushed a prison van and snatched three convicted JMB militants including Boma Mizan in Trishal upazila of Mymensingh. A police constable was killed as the gang of 10-15, all masked, opened fire and hurled crude bombs at the prison van at Signboard point of Aminabari area.

Since then Mizan was hiding in India. The other two convicted JMB leaders were Rakib Hasan Russell alias Hafez Mahmud and Salauddin Ahmed alias Salehin.

However, police arrested Russell within five hours. He was later killed in a shootout with the law enforcers.

Salauddin, who was awarded death sentence, later declared himself as the chief of the mainstream JMB. He is also believed to have been hiding in India.

Mizan has been found guilty and awarded different terms of jail sentences by three courts.

Source: unb