Burdwan blasts probe: NIA team to visit Dhaka next week

NEW DELHI: Having made little headway in its probe in Burdwan blast, a team of NIA will visit Bangladesh next week to get inputs about the activities of terror group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) following the arrest of two of its cadre last week in the neighbouring country.

The key accused of the October 2 Burdwan blast, that left two dead, gave a slip to the West Bengal Police as well as to the National Investigation Agency and are believed to have fled to Bangladesh, official sources said.

The team's visit is tentatively fixed for November 9 and 10 and a senior officer of the NIA in the rank of Inspector General of Police will lead it, the sources said.

The NIA suspects the hands of JMB in the blast. It has announced a cash reward of Rs 10 lakh for main accused Kausar, Nasirullah, Sajid (all believed to be Bangladesh nationals) and Talha Sheikh and Maulana Yusuf Sheikh (residents of West Bengal), all of whom are absconding.

Sources privy to the investigation said no substantial evidence has come there way about the terror plot of the group, which is stated to be targeting Bangladesh government leaders.

On October two, the blast took place inside a house at Khagragarh in Burdwan in which suspected terrorist Shakil Ahmed died on the spot while his associate Sovan Mandal died in hospital.