Security has been beefed up as a special anti-terrorism court in <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/bangladesh-police-arrest-two-in-connection-with-bakery-attack-1773">Dhaka</a> is set to pronounce verdict on Wednesday in the 2016 deadly terrorist attack on <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/slow-turnover-at-dhaka-restaurants-one-year-after-cafe-attack-17796">Holey Artisan Bakery</a>.

Twenty-two civilians, including 17 foreign nationals, were killed after five gunmen carried out the attack in Dhaka's upscale Gulshan diplomatic enclave on July 1, 2016, Dhaka Tribune reported. Two police officers also died in the encounter before the army commandos killed the terrorists on the following day to end the siege and release the guests whom the militants took hostages inside the eatery.

Judge Md Mujibur Rahman of Dhaka Anti-terrorism Special Tribunal earlier this month set the date for pronouncing the verdict today after the arguments in the case ended. 
The prosecution lawyers hoped for maximum punishment for all the eight accused in the trial that was initiated on November 26, 2018.

One of the defence lawyers, Md Delwar Hossain, said, "The prosecution failed to prove the charges against our clients in the case, so they should be acquitted." According to the charge sheet submitted by the investigating agency - the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police - the eight accused are members of the banned militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

The cafe was shut down after the attack and later moved to a different location. The original building was locked down by the owners, only open to mourners on the anniversary of the attack who came to pay their respects. The incident is considered to be one of the deadliest terror attacks in Bangladesh's history.

Security has been beefed up as a special anti-terrorism court in Dhaka is set to pronounce verdict on Wednesday in the 2016 deadly terrorist attack on Holey Artisan Bakery.

Security has been beefed up as a special anti-terrorism court in Dhaka is set to pronounce verdict on Wednesday in the 2016 deadly terrorist attack on Holey Artisan Bakery. Twenty-two civilians, including 17 foreign nationals, were killed after five gunmen carried out the attack in Dhaka's upscale Gulshan diplomatic enclave on July 1, 2016, Dhaka Tribune reported. Two police officers also died in the encounter before the army commandos killed the terrorists on the following day to end the siege and release the guests whom the militants took hostages inside the eatery. Judge Md Mujibur Rahman of Dhaka Anti-terrorism Special Tribunal earlier this month set the date for pronouncing the verdict today after the arguments in the case ended. The prosecution lawyers hoped for maximum punishment for all the eight accused in the trial that was initiated on November 26, 2018. One of the defence lawyers, Md Delwar Hossain, said, "The prosecution failed to prove the charges against our clients in the case, so they should be acquitted." According to the charge sheet submitted by the investigating agency - the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crimes (CTTC) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police - the eight accused are members of the banned militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The cafe was shut down after the attack and later moved to a different location. The original building was locked down by the owners, only open to mourners on the anniversary of the attack who came to pay their respects. The incident is considered to be one of the deadliest terror attacks in Bangladesh's history.

Security beefed up ahead of verdict in Dhaka's Holey Artisan Bakery attack

Banned terror outfit <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jamaat-ul-mujahideen-bangladesh-planning-to-set-up-permanent-bases-in-eastern-states-mha-221625">Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh</a> is using some Madrasas in Burdwan and Murshidabad district of West Bengal for radicalisation and recruitment activities, Union Home Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry also expressed concern to the West Bengal government over the recent political violence in the state.

"There are some inputs of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh using some Madrasas in Burdwan and Murshidabad for radicalisation and recruitment activities," Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said in a written reply in Lok Sabha.

He said relevant inputs in this regard are regularly shared with the state governments and agencies concerned with the advice to take appropriate action.

"The government has notified Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen India or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan and all its manifestations as a Terrorist Organisation on May 23 this year in terms of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967," he said.

The Minister said that information has been received about a number of incidents of violence before, during and after the General Election-2019 resulting in deaths and injuries to several people including political workers in West Bengal.

"Concern on the issue was shared by the government with the state government and an advisory was issued on June 9, 2019, asking the state government to maintain law and order, peace and public tranquillity in the state," he said.&nbsp;

Banned terror outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh is using some Madrasas in Burdwan and Murshidabad district of West Bengal for radicalisation and recruitment activities, Union Home Ministry said on Tuesday.

Banned terror outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh is using some Madrasas in Burdwan and Murshidabad district of West Bengal for radicalisation and recruitment activities, Union Home Ministry said on Tuesday. The ministry also expressed concern to the West Bengal government over the recent political violence in the state. "There are some inputs of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh using some Madrasas in Burdwan and Murshidabad for radicalisation and recruitment activities," Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said in a written reply in Lok Sabha. He said relevant inputs in this regard are regularly shared with the state governments and agencies concerned with the advice to take appropriate action. "The government has notified Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen India or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan and all its manifestations as a Terrorist Organisation on May 23 this year in terms of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967," he said. The Minister said that information has been received about a number of incidents of violence before, during and after the General Election-2019 resulting in deaths and injuries to several people including political workers in West Bengal. "Concern on the issue was shared by the government with the state government and an advisory was issued on June 9, 2019, asking the state government to maintain law and order, peace and public tranquillity in the state," he said.

Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh using some Madrasas in West Bengal for radicalisation: Home Ministry

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-warns-china-of-serious-consequences-if-hong-kong-rights-not-honoured-232315">UK warns China of serious consequences if Hong Kong rights not honoured</a> 
 
Protesters, angry about proposed legislation allowing extraditions to mainland China, smashed their way into Hong Kong's legislature on Monday, with police using tear gas to disperse them.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rising-heat-stress-could-cost-80-million-jobs-by-2030-united-nations-232401">Rising heat stress could cost 80 million jobs by 2030: United Nations</a> 
 
The World Health Organisation has said heat stress linked to climate change is likely to cause 38,000 extra deaths a year worldwide between 2030 and 2050.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/jamaat-ul-mujahideen-bangladesh-using-some-madrasas-in-west-bengal-for-radicalization-home-ministry-232434">Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh using some Madrasas in West Bengal for radicalization: Home Ministry</a> 
 
Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said relevant inputs in this regard are regularly shared with the state governments and agencies concerned with the advice to take appropriate action.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/france-warns-iran-against-further-breaches-of-nuclear-deal-232313">France warns Iran against further breaches of nuclear deal</a> 
 
The statement added that Macron would take steps in the coming days to ensure Iran met its obligations and continued to benefit from the economic advantages of the deal.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-says-several-suspected-united-states-spies-face-possible-death-sentences-232329">Iran says several suspected United States spies face possible death sentences</a> 
 
In June, Iran said it executed a former contract employee of the defence ministry aerospace body on charges of spying for the US Central Intelligence Agency.

UK warns China of serious consequences if Hong Kong rights not honoured Protesters, angry about proposed legislation allowing extraditions to mainland China, smashed their way into Hong Kong's legislature on Monday, with police using tear gas to disperse them.

UK warns China of serious consequences if Hong Kong rights not honoured Protesters, angry about proposed legislation allowing extraditions to mainland China, smashed their way into Hong Kong's legislature on Monday, with police using tear gas to disperse them. Rising heat stress could cost 80 million jobs by 2030: United Nations The World Health Organisation has said heat stress linked to climate change is likely to cause 38,000 extra deaths a year worldwide between 2030 and 2050. Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh using some Madrasas in West Bengal for radicalization: Home Ministry Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said relevant inputs in this regard are regularly shared with the state governments and agencies concerned with the advice to take appropriate action. France warns Iran against further breaches of nuclear deal The statement added that Macron would take steps in the coming days to ensure Iran met its obligations and continued to benefit from the economic advantages of the deal. Iran says several suspected United States spies face possible death sentences In June, Iran said it executed a former contract employee of the defence ministry aerospace body on charges of spying for the US Central Intelligence Agency.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Acting on a tip-off, Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested four neo-Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) or Islamic State (IS) operatives from Kolkata.&nbsp;

Two operatives, identified as Md Jiaur Rahman and Mamonur Rashid, were arrested from the vicinity of Sealdah Railway Station’s parking lot; both are Bangladeshi nationals. A mobile phone, containing photos, videos, jihadi text and literature, was found on them.&nbsp;

Two other operatives identified as Md Sahin Alam and Robiul Islam were arrested from the Howrah Station. While Alam is a Bangladeshi national, Islam is an Indian national and lived in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.&nbsp;

The arrested Indian national was also a member of the banned terrorist organisation and was helping them by harbouring, recruiting and collecting fund from India.&nbsp;

The arrested Bangladeshi nationals had taken shelter in India to escape an arrest in Bangladesh and were further involved in the recruitment under the Islamic State banner and collect funds for organisation too.&nbsp;

All four were active on social media propagating their agenda. Digital documents, videos and audio files along with Jihadi booklets were recovered from their possession.

The main motive of their organisation was to overthrow democratic governments in India and Bangladesh and establish Sharia law under a caliphate.

The operatives are to be produced before the court today.&nbsp;

Acting on a tip-off, Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested four neo-Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) or Islamic State (IS) operatives from Kolkata.

Acting on a tip-off, Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested four neo-Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) or Islamic State (IS) operatives from Kolkata. Two operatives, identified as Md Jiaur Rahman and Mamonur Rashid, were arrested from the vicinity of Sealdah Railway Station’s parking lot; both are Bangladeshi nationals. A mobile phone, containing photos, videos, jihadi text and literature, was found on them. Two other operatives identified as Md Sahin Alam and Robiul Islam were arrested from the Howrah Station. While Alam is a Bangladeshi national, Islam is an Indian national and lived in West Bengal’s Birbhum district. The arrested Indian national was also a member of the banned terrorist organisation and was helping them by harbouring, recruiting and collecting fund from India. The arrested Bangladeshi nationals had taken shelter in India to escape an arrest in Bangladesh and were further involved in the recruitment under the Islamic State banner and collect funds for organisation too. All four were active on social media propagating their agenda. Digital documents, videos and audio files along with Jihadi booklets were recovered from their possession. The main motive of their organisation was to overthrow democratic governments in India and Bangladesh and establish Sharia law under a caliphate. The operatives are to be produced before the court today.

Four neo-Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh/Islamic State operatives arrested from Kolkata 

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sounded an alert about plans of terrorist outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) making permanent bases within 10 kilometres of the India-Bangladesh border in the eastern states of Tripura, Assam and West Bengal.

A gazette notification, issued by the MHA Joint Secretary Piyush Goyal on Thursday, said the terror outfit has also plans of "spreading its network in south India with an overarching motive to establish Caliphate in the Indian subcontinent."

The notification said the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Indian or Jamaat-ul- Mujahideen Hindustan are in the list of 41 terror organisations, already banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

The JMB and its sister formations such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan have committed acts of terrorism, promoted acts of terrorism and have been engaged in radicalisation and recruitment of youths for terrorist activities in India, the notification said.

The terror outfit was also found involved in recruitment and raising funds for terrorist activities, procurement of explosives, chemicals and assembling of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), it said.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had earlier confirmed involvement of JMB cadre in Burdwan bomb blast on October 2, 2014 and Bodh Gaya blasts on January 19, 2018.

The Assam police also found involvement of the JMB in five cases and arrested 565 JMB suspects, it said.

In January, the MHA added Al-Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), ISIS Wilayat Khorasan, Islamic State of Iraq, Sham- Khorasan (ISIS-K) and the Khalistan Liberation Force among the list of terrorist organisations banned under the UAPA.

In March, a suspected terrorist belonging to the JMB was arrested by the Tripura police from a rented house at Arundhatinagar here.

Director General of Tripura Police Akhil Kumar Shukla had earlier said the suspected JMB terrorist, identified as Nazir Sheikh, hailed from Murshidabad district of West Bengal and had links with many other terror outfits in India.

He was interrogated by a joint team of NIA, military intelligence and officials of the special branch of the Tripura police.

India and Bangladesh share 4,156-km-long border with Bangladesh, that passes through five states -- West Bengal (2,217 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Assam (262 km) and Mizoram (180 km).

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sounded an alert about plans of terrorist outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) making permanent bases within 10 kilometres of the India-Bangladesh border in the eastern states of Tripura, Assam and West Bengal.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has sounded an alert about plans of terrorist outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) making permanent bases within 10 kilometres of the India-Bangladesh border in the eastern states of Tripura, Assam and West Bengal. A gazette notification, issued by the MHA Joint Secretary Piyush Goyal on Thursday, said the terror outfit has also plans of "spreading its network in south India with an overarching motive to establish Caliphate in the Indian subcontinent." The notification said the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Indian or Jamaat-ul- Mujahideen Hindustan are in the list of 41 terror organisations, already banned under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. The JMB and its sister formations such as the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan have committed acts of terrorism, promoted acts of terrorism and have been engaged in radicalisation and recruitment of youths for terrorist activities in India, the notification said. The terror outfit was also found involved in recruitment and raising funds for terrorist activities, procurement of explosives, chemicals and assembling of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), it said. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had earlier confirmed involvement of JMB cadre in Burdwan bomb blast on October 2, 2014 and Bodh Gaya blasts on January 19, 2018. The Assam police also found involvement of the JMB in five cases and arrested 565 JMB suspects, it said. In January, the MHA added Al-Qaida in Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP), ISIS Wilayat Khorasan, Islamic State of Iraq, Sham- Khorasan (ISIS-K) and the Khalistan Liberation Force among the list of terrorist organisations banned under the UAPA. In March, a suspected terrorist belonging to the JMB was arrested by the Tripura police from a rented house at Arundhatinagar here. Director General of Tripura Police Akhil Kumar Shukla had earlier said the suspected JMB terrorist, identified as Nazir Sheikh, hailed from Murshidabad district of West Bengal and had links with many other terror outfits in India. He was interrogated by a joint team of NIA, military intelligence and officials of the special branch of the Tripura police. India and Bangladesh share 4,156-km-long border with Bangladesh, that passes through five states -- West Bengal (2,217 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Assam (262 km) and Mizoram (180 km).

Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh planning to set up permanent bases in eastern states: MHA

Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative on Friday in connection with the Burdwan blast case.

“Manirul Islam aged 42 years hailing from Raghunathganj in Murshidabad district of West Bengal was arrested from Kolkata’s APC Road on Friday evening,” said a senior official of Kolkata Police.

STF officers revealed that Islam was an active JMB member since 2010. He was very much acquainted with Maulana Yousuf and Ibrahim who were recently arrested by Kolkata Police.

Islam used to visit Mokimnagar Madrasa frequently, recruited locals and reportedly radicalized them. The recruits were later trained at the same Madrasa where arms training was imparted.

Just seven days ago, the STF had arrested another JMB operative Abdul Matin from Kerala who hailed from Assam’s Barpeta. He joined the JMB in 2010 when he used to study at the Madrasa.

On January 29, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had nabbed two Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) operatives from Bengal’s Hooghly district.

“NIA Kolkata arrested accused Kadar Kazi alias Kadoor, 32 years, from Arambagh Police Station area, district Hooghly, West Bengal. He was wanted in Burdwan blast case and was also declared as a proclaimed offender. His associate Sajjad Ali who was also involved in the activities of JMB has also been arrested in the late night operation yesterday. Both the accused are being produced before NIA special court Kolkata today,” an official release from the NIA read.

Of the two arrested - Kader Kazi and Sajjad Ali - Kader was a close associate of Burdwan blast mastermind Kausar.

On October 2, 2014, an explosion was reported at Khagragarh in Burdwan district of West Bengal. Two JMB operatives died in the accidental blast while making bombs while a third one was seriously injured. The investigation in the explosion revealed that the JMB unit and sleeper cells were active in the state.

Several arrests were made by the Bengal Police, however, the investigation was later handed over to NIA.

Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative on Friday in connection with the Burdwan blast case. “Manirul Islam aged 42 years hailing from Raghunathganj in Murshidabad district of West Bengal was arrested from Kolkata’s APC Road on Friday evening,” said a senior official of Kolkata Police.

Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force (STF) arrested a Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative on Friday in connection with the Burdwan blast case. “Manirul Islam aged 42 years hailing from Raghunathganj in Murshidabad district of West Bengal was arrested from Kolkata’s APC Road on Friday evening,” said a senior official of Kolkata Police. STF officers revealed that Islam was an active JMB member since 2010. He was very much acquainted with Maulana Yousuf and Ibrahim who were recently arrested by Kolkata Police. Islam used to visit Mokimnagar Madrasa frequently, recruited locals and reportedly radicalized them. The recruits were later trained at the same Madrasa where arms training was imparted. Just seven days ago, the STF had arrested another JMB operative Abdul Matin from Kerala who hailed from Assam’s Barpeta. He joined the JMB in 2010 when he used to study at the Madrasa. On January 29, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had nabbed two Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen (JMB) operatives from Bengal’s Hooghly district. “NIA Kolkata arrested accused Kadar Kazi alias Kadoor, 32 years, from Arambagh Police Station area, district Hooghly, West Bengal. He was wanted in Burdwan blast case and was also declared as a proclaimed offender. His associate Sajjad Ali who was also involved in the activities of JMB has also been arrested in the late night operation yesterday. Both the accused are being produced before NIA special court Kolkata today,” an official release from the NIA read. Of the two arrested - Kader Kazi and Sajjad Ali - Kader was a close associate of Burdwan blast mastermind Kausar. On October 2, 2014, an explosion was reported at Khagragarh in Burdwan district of West Bengal. Two JMB operatives died in the accidental blast while making bombs while a third one was seriously injured. The investigation in the explosion revealed that the JMB unit and sleeper cells were active in the state. Several arrests were made by the Bengal Police, however, the investigation was later handed over to NIA.

Kolkata Police’s Special Task Force arrests another JMB operative in connection with Burdwan blast

Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF) arrested a man from West Bengal's Bandel railway station on Monday. The man has been arrested in connection with Bihar's Bodh Gaya serial blasts.

According to reports, the 57-year-old man had allegedly helped Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in procuring explosives that were used in the blast.

All five accused in the 2013 Bodh Gaya bombings were found guilty by a special Patna court on May 25. The accused belonged to the terror group Indian Mujahideen.

The convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment by a National Investigative Agency (NIA) Special Court on June 1.

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West Bengal: A 57-year-old man was arrested by Special Task Force of Kolkata Police from Bandel railway station this morning, in connection with Bihar's Bodh Gaya blast case this January.He had helped Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in procuring explosives used in the blast <a href="https://t.co/Twb5lwLmHE">pic.twitter.com/Twb5lwLmHE</a>
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Umer Siddiqui, Azaharuddin Qureshi, Imtiyaz Ansari, Haider Ali, Mujibullah Ansari and a juvenile, all belonging to the Indian Mujahideen, were accused in the case.

Last year, a Juvenile Justice Board in Patna had convicted the juvenile and sentenced him to three years in connection with the Patna and Bodh Gaya blast cases. The accused juvenile was involved in the conspiracy of carrying out explosions in both the places.

The accused was also involved in Patna's Gandhi Maidan blast.

Maha Bodhi temple, situated in the holy city of Bodh Gaya, was jolted by a series of bomb blasts on July 7, 2013. Five people, including two Buddhist monks, were injured in the incident.

The temple assumes great significance to Buddhists owing to the belief that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment at the spot. The temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(With inputs from ANI)

According to reports, the 57-year-old man had allegedly helped Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in procuring explosives that were used in the blast

Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF) arrested a man from West Bengal's Bandel railway station on Monday. The man has been arrested in connection with Bihar's Bodh Gaya serial blasts. According to reports, the 57-year-old man had allegedly helped Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in procuring explosives that were used in the blast. All five accused in the 2013 Bodh Gaya bombings were found guilty by a special Patna court on May 25. The accused belonged to the terror group Indian Mujahideen. The convicts were sentenced to life imprisonment by a National Investigative Agency (NIA) Special Court on June 1. West Bengal: A 57-year-old man was arrested by Special Task Force of Kolkata Police from Bandel railway station this morning, in connection with Bihar's Bodh Gaya blast case this January.He had helped Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in procuring explosives used in the blast pic.twitter.com/Twb5lwLmHE — ANI (@ANI) June 11, 2018 × Umer Siddiqui, Azaharuddin Qureshi, Imtiyaz Ansari, Haider Ali, Mujibullah Ansari and a juvenile, all belonging to the Indian Mujahideen, were accused in the case. Last year, a Juvenile Justice Board in Patna had convicted the juvenile and sentenced him to three years in connection with the Patna and Bodh Gaya blast cases. The accused juvenile was involved in the conspiracy of carrying out explosions in both the places. The accused was also involved in Patna's Gandhi Maidan blast. Maha Bodhi temple, situated in the holy city of Bodh Gaya, was jolted by a series of bomb blasts on July 7, 2013. Five people, including two Buddhist monks, were injured in the incident. The temple assumes great significance to Buddhists owing to the belief that Lord Buddha attained enlightenment at the spot. The temple is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (With inputs from ANI)

Bodh Gaya blasts: Man arrested for helping procure explosives

Bangladesh security forces on Tuesday arrested two members of an Islamist militant group blamed for a deadly attack on a cafe in Dhaka in July in which 22 people were killed, most of them foreigners.

The July 1 attack in Dhaka&#39;s diplomatic quarter was claimed by the Islamic State and was the worst militant attack in Bangladesh, which has been hit by a spate of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the past year.

The two suspects, aged 21 and 28, were members of a faction of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant group, known as New JMB, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, and which police believe was involved in organising the cafe attack.

&ldquo;We have recovered money, jihadi books, leaflets and sharp weapons,&rdquo; Lutful Kabir, a senior official with the police-led Rapid Action Battalion, which is involved in counter-terrorism efforts, told a news conference.

The five gunmen who attacked the cafe were all killed.

Police have killed at least 42 suspected Islamists in raids since then, including the man police said was the attack mastermind, Bangladesh-born Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury.

(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

The two suspects, aged 21 and 28, were members of a faction of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant group

Bangladesh security forces on Tuesday arrested two members of an Islamist militant group blamed for a deadly attack on a cafe in Dhaka in July in which 22 people were killed, most of them foreigners. The July 1 attack in Dhaka's diplomatic quarter was claimed by the Islamic State and was the worst militant attack in Bangladesh, which has been hit by a spate of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the past year. The two suspects, aged 21 and 28, were members of a faction of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) militant group, known as New JMB, which has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, and which police believe was involved in organising the cafe attack. “We have recovered money, jihadi books, leaflets and sharp weapons,” Lutful Kabir, a senior official with the police-led Rapid Action Battalion, which is involved in counter-terrorism efforts, told a news conference. The five gunmen who attacked the cafe were all killed. Police have killed at least 42 suspected Islamists in raids since then, including the man police said was the attack mastermind, Bangladesh-born Canadian citizen Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury. (Reuters)

Bangladesh arrests two Islamists blamed for cafe attack

Kolkata Police&#39;s Special Task Force (STF) today busted Islamic fundamentalist organisation Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh&#39;s (JMB) major module, active in eastern and northeastern India.&nbsp; 
 
Six JMB operatives, including three Bangladeshi nationals and three Indian nationals of Bangladeshi origin, were arrested during separate raids in the eastern and northeastern states, the police in eastern city said. &nbsp; 
 
The arrested operatives, including &nbsp;head of JMB&rsquo;s unit in eastern West Bengal state, Inam alias Anwar Hussain, were running JMB&#39;s sleeper cells across the eastern and north-eastern Indian states, police informed.&nbsp; 
 
The operatives were also wanted by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) in connection with 2014 Burdwan blast in West Bengal.&nbsp; 
 
Arrest of six operatives a major breakthrough: Kolkata Police&nbsp; 
 
According to the officials, the arrest of the six wanted operatives is a major breakthrough.&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;They were planning a terror attack in this region. The module was active in radicalising youths from Bangladesh. Since they did not use any technology or social media or mobile phones, it was a difficult catch. Some more operatives are involved in the module and we are looking for them,&rdquo; joint commissioner of Kolkata Police (Special Task Force), Vishal Garg said.&nbsp; 
 
Officials have not ruled out the possibility of the operatives having links with the Islamic State or July 1 Dhaka cafe attack. &nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;We are probing all possible angles. We are also investigating if they had any role to play in the Dhaka cafe attack or have any links with the Islamic State.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
Sources in the Special Task Force highlight that these operatives were controlled and handled by JMB&#39;s Majlish-e-Shura, think-tank, in charge of India, Salahuddin. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
&ldquo;We have seized some &lsquo;white powder&rsquo; kind of an explosive. We do not know the nature of the explosive, so we have sent it for examination. These explosives were being brought to Kolkata&nbsp;when we arrested them,&rdquo; Garg said.&nbsp; 
 
The police have also seized several electrical wire circuits and electrical boards, forged documents, fake Indian and Bangladeshi currency, chemical compounds, SD cards, laptop and mobile phones, during the raids.&nbsp; 
 
NIA team set to question six suspects&nbsp; 
 
All six arrested will be produced before the local court in Kolkata and police will pray for police custody.&nbsp; 
 
A&nbsp;team of NIA officers is&nbsp;also set to question the six arrested operatives, including Maulana Yusuf who was second-in-command for the JMB&rsquo;s Bengal unit.&nbsp; 
 
Yusuf, according to police, was the chief motivator of JMB across Madrasas in Bengal had a Rs 10 lakh bounty on him by the NIA&nbsp; 
 
Police claimed that Yusuf used to radicalise youth in the Madrasa and train them in guerrilla warfare. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Another arrested operative, Sahidul Islam, was the chief of the JMB in the north-eastern region. 
 
One of the six suspects, Md Rubel alias Rafique, who had a Rs 1 lakh bounty on him, is a resident of Jamalpur, Bangladesh and an expert in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs).&nbsp; 
 
Rubel used to bring Bangladeshi youths to India to train and radicalise them, the police accuses.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Md Abul Kalam, another operative arrested today, was also an expert in IEDs and used to assist another operative, Sahidul. 
 
A Bangladeshi national, Jabirul Islam alias Jahidul Islam, who is also among the six arrested, &nbsp;had entered India without any valid passport or visa, police said.&nbsp; 
 
(WION)&nbsp;

The six arrested JMB operatives were planning a terror attack in eastern and northeastern India, police said

Kolkata Police's Special Task Force (STF) today busted Islamic fundamentalist organisation Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh's (JMB) major module, active in eastern and northeastern India. Six JMB operatives, including three Bangladeshi nationals and three Indian nationals of Bangladeshi origin, were arrested during separate raids in the eastern and northeastern states, the police in eastern city said. The arrested operatives, including head of JMB’s unit in eastern West Bengal state, Inam alias Anwar Hussain, were running JMB's sleeper cells across the eastern and north-eastern Indian states, police informed. The operatives were also wanted by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) in connection with 2014 Burdwan blast in West Bengal. Arrest of six operatives a major breakthrough: Kolkata Police According to the officials, the arrest of the six wanted operatives is a major breakthrough. “They were planning a terror attack in this region. The module was active in radicalising youths from Bangladesh. Since they did not use any technology or social media or mobile phones, it was a difficult catch. Some more operatives are involved in the module and we are looking for them,” joint commissioner of Kolkata Police (Special Task Force), Vishal Garg said. Officials have not ruled out the possibility of the operatives having links with the Islamic State or July 1 Dhaka cafe attack. “We are probing all possible angles. We are also investigating if they had any role to play in the Dhaka cafe attack or have any links with the Islamic State." Sources in the Special Task Force highlight that these operatives were controlled and handled by JMB's Majlish-e-Shura, think-tank, in charge of India, Salahuddin. “We have seized some ‘white powder’ kind of an explosive. We do not know the nature of the explosive, so we have sent it for examination. These explosives were being brought to Kolkata when we arrested them,” Garg said. The police have also seized several electrical wire circuits and electrical boards, forged documents, fake Indian and Bangladeshi currency, chemical compounds, SD cards, laptop and mobile phones, during the raids. NIA team set to question six suspects All six arrested will be produced before the local court in Kolkata and police will pray for police custody. A team of NIA officers is also set to question the six arrested operatives, including Maulana Yusuf who was second-in-command for the JMB’s Bengal unit. Yusuf, according to police, was the chief motivator of JMB across Madrasas in Bengal had a Rs 10 lakh bounty on him by the NIA Police claimed that Yusuf used to radicalise youth in the Madrasa and train them in guerrilla warfare. Another arrested operative, Sahidul Islam, was the chief of the JMB in the north-eastern region. One of the six suspects, Md Rubel alias Rafique, who had a Rs 1 lakh bounty on him, is a resident of Jamalpur, Bangladesh and an expert in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Rubel used to bring Bangladeshi youths to India to train and radicalise them, the police accuses. Meanwhile, Md Abul Kalam, another operative arrested today, was also an expert in IEDs and used to assist another operative, Sahidul. A Bangladeshi national, Jabirul Islam alias Jahidul Islam, who is also among the six arrested, had entered India without any valid passport or visa, police said. (WION)

India: Kolkata Police busts major JMB terror module, arrests six suspects wanted in Burdwan blast case

A Bangladesh court today upheld the death sentence for six Islamist terrorists convicted over a suicide bombing in 2005 of a lawyer&#39;s office that killed eight people, a top prosecutor said. 
 
Bangladesh&#39;s judiciary is under pressure to fast track cases involving terorrists as the government faces mounting criticism to crackdown on Islamists over a series of recent deadly killings. A bench of two high court judges rejected appeals from the six convicted over the 2005 bombing, claimed by local extremist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). 
 
&quot;The court upheld the death orders against the six JMB extremists, as the charges against them were proved beyond any doubt,&quot; deputy attorney general Sheikh AKM Moniruzzaman told AFP. JMB has also been blamed for a siege this month by five gunmen on an upscale cafe in Dhaka that killed 20, mostly foreign hostages and two police officers. 
 
Police have rejected the Islamic State (IS) group&#39;s claim for the July 1 attack. The group posted gruesome images of the carnage before the military stormed the cafe.&nbsp; 
 
Moniruzzaman said the six convicted terrorists had conspired and assisted in the bombing of the lawyer&#39;s office, just north of Dhaka, part of JMB&#39;s then deadly campaign against the secular judiciary. 
 
&quot;Of the ten JMB extremists originally sentenced to death by the trial court in 2013, two were acquitted by the high court and two others were sentenced to life in prison,&quot; he added. The attack was one of a series of blasts the JMB carried out in 2005, then raising fears that the Muslim-majority nation would descend into Afghanistan-style Islamic militancy. 
 
Four lawyers and four litigants died in the attack. The suicide bomber was also killed. Authorities launched a crackdown on the JMB at the time, but it has regrouped in recent years under new leaders. According to experts, it has been actively recruiting young and highly educated young men to its ranks. 
 
Police have blamed the banned group for scores of gruesome murders of religious minorities, as well as of foreigners, since 2013. 
 
(AFP)

The six were convicted over the 2005 bombing, claimed by local extremist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh

A Bangladesh court today upheld the death sentence for six Islamist terrorists convicted over a suicide bombing in 2005 of a lawyer's office that killed eight people, a top prosecutor said. Bangladesh's judiciary is under pressure to fast track cases involving terorrists as the government faces mounting criticism to crackdown on Islamists over a series of recent deadly killings. A bench of two high court judges rejected appeals from the six convicted over the 2005 bombing, claimed by local extremist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). "The court upheld the death orders against the six JMB extremists, as the charges against them were proved beyond any doubt," deputy attorney general Sheikh AKM Moniruzzaman told AFP. JMB has also been blamed for a siege this month by five gunmen on an upscale cafe in Dhaka that killed 20, mostly foreign hostages and two police officers. Police have rejected the Islamic State (IS) group's claim for the July 1 attack. The group posted gruesome images of the carnage before the military stormed the cafe. Moniruzzaman said the six convicted terrorists had conspired and assisted in the bombing of the lawyer's office, just north of Dhaka, part of JMB's then deadly campaign against the secular judiciary. "Of the ten JMB extremists originally sentenced to death by the trial court in 2013, two were acquitted by the high court and two others were sentenced to life in prison," he added. The attack was one of a series of blasts the JMB carried out in 2005, then raising fears that the Muslim-majority nation would descend into Afghanistan-style Islamic militancy. Four lawyers and four litigants died in the attack. The suicide bomber was also killed. Authorities launched a crackdown on the JMB at the time, but it has regrouped in recent years under new leaders. According to experts, it has been actively recruiting young and highly educated young men to its ranks. Police have blamed the banned group for scores of gruesome murders of religious minorities, as well as of foreigners, since 2013. (AFP)

Bangladesh upholds death sentence for six terrorists

Police in Bangladesh arrested today four women members of a home-grown militant group blamed for a bloody attack on a cafe in which 22 were killed, most of them foreigners, an officer said.&nbsp; 
 
Meanwhile, Bangladesh newspaper, The Daily Star, quoted the Dhaka police chief Asaduzzaman Mia as stating that the &quot;instigators of the Gulshan caf? attack have been identified and their arrest is now simply a matter of time&quot;. The police chief reportedly said this to reporters in his office this afternoon. 
 
Authorities have intensified a hunt for militants after five young men stormed the upmarket restaurant, Holey Artisan Bakery, popular with foreigners on July 1. Among those killed were nine Italians, seven Japanese, an American and an Indian. 
 
The five militants were gunned down when security forces moved in. 
 
Police believe that Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned group that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, played a significant role in organising the group of privileged, educated young men who carried out the attack. 
 
The four women members of the group, aged 18 to 30, who were arrested in from the northwestern district of Sirajganj in Bangladesh, were believed to have been plotting an attack, police said. 
 
&quot;Acting on a tip-off, our force raided a rented house where a large amount of grenade-making materials, crude bombs and jihadi books were also found,&quot; district police superintendent Siraj Uddin Ahmed told reporters. 
 
The women would be interrogated to determine if they had any link to the Dhaka cafe attack, he said. 
 
On Thursday, four other members of the banned group, including a regional head, were arrested. 
 
The cafe attack was one of the worst militant attacks ever in Bangladesh. 
 
Al Qaeda and Islamic State have made competing claims for a series of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the country over the past year. 
 
The government dismissed the claims and instead blamed domestic militant groups, but security experts say the scale and sophistication of the cafe assault suggested links to a trans-national network. 
 
(WION and Reuters)

Aged between 18-30, they were plotting an attack and were members of Jamayetul Mujahideen that has pledged allegiance to IS, police said

Police in Bangladesh arrested today four women members of a home-grown militant group blamed for a bloody attack on a cafe in which 22 were killed, most of them foreigners, an officer said. Meanwhile, Bangladesh newspaper, The Daily Star, quoted the Dhaka police chief Asaduzzaman Mia as stating that the "instigators of the Gulshan caf? attack have been identified and their arrest is now simply a matter of time". The police chief reportedly said this to reporters in his office this afternoon. Authorities have intensified a hunt for militants after five young men stormed the upmarket restaurant, Holey Artisan Bakery, popular with foreigners on July 1. Among those killed were nine Italians, seven Japanese, an American and an Indian. The five militants were gunned down when security forces moved in. Police believe that Jamayetul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned group that has pledged allegiance to Islamic State, played a significant role in organising the group of privileged, educated young men who carried out the attack. The four women members of the group, aged 18 to 30, who were arrested in from the northwestern district of Sirajganj in Bangladesh, were believed to have been plotting an attack, police said. "Acting on a tip-off, our force raided a rented house where a large amount of grenade-making materials, crude bombs and jihadi books were also found," district police superintendent Siraj Uddin Ahmed told reporters. The women would be interrogated to determine if they had any link to the Dhaka cafe attack, he said. On Thursday, four other members of the banned group, including a regional head, were arrested. The cafe attack was one of the worst militant attacks ever in Bangladesh. Al Qaeda and Islamic State have made competing claims for a series of killings of liberals and members of religious minorities in the country over the past year. The government dismissed the claims and instead blamed domestic militant groups, but security experts say the scale and sophistication of the cafe assault suggested links to a trans-national network. (WION and Reuters)

Bangladesh arrests four women militants, to quiz them in Dhaka cafe attack

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