By M Reyaz and Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Burdwan/Kolkata: The October 2 blast in a prominent Muslim dominated neighbourhood has rattled the University town. Even as the National Investigation Agency (NIA) took over the probe into what is now termed as an ‘accidental’ blast, situation at the ground is tense as people are still not able to come to terms with the alleged terror link-up.
A non-descript two-storied house in Khagragarh, a suburb of Burdwan – 120 kms from Kolkata – witnessed an explosion, which killed two persons and injured another. Police claimed to have seized dozens of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), other explosives and SIM cards.
The two storied house where the ‘accidental’ explosion occurred on October 2.
The locality, that once was known mainly for migrants from Bihar, has now developed as an upwardly mobile middle-class colony inhabited mostly by educated Muslim professionals, traders and retired government personnel. Approximately 90 % population is Muslims.
Even on October 11, when TCN team went there, the situation was tense, fear palpable. Sizeable police force was scattered towards the road leading to the site of the blast. People were unwilling to speak, some for fear of the police but many out of frustration over what they termed as skewed media coverage, particularly by the Bengali television channels. Most people that TCN approached denied any knowledge about anything.
Razia Bibi and Alima Bibi, with their toddler, after they were taken into custody.
The blast site:
Two persons that police claim to be terrorists, Shakil Ahmed and Sovan Mandal were killed, while third Abdul Hakim Hassan was injured in what was termed as ‘accidental’ explosion on October 2 in a rented house at Khagragarh.
Security agencies believe that the rented flat was a bomb making factory, and the deceased as well as the two women, arrested from the house are part of a nefarious terror outfit. Much of it is still shrouded in speculations and only after a thorough investigation by a competent agency, can one expect concrete facts to be known. But Khagragarh locals agree, if nothing else they are hardened criminals – and possibly terrorists.
Shahnawaz Khan alias Chhotu, a local plumber, who helped the police in bringing the dead bodies to the hospital and was one of first few people to have reached to spot narrated how upon hearing the sound of blast and smoke, earlier he thought it might be a gas cylinder blast.
“But as we reached the flat, we were up for a ‘surprise’ as the women threatened us to leave else she will fire,” he claimed.
Abdul Hakim alias Hassan at Burdwan hospital.
Soon fire brigade team and police led by Burdwan district police chief Syed Muhammad Hossain Meerza, Additional SP Tarun Halder, SDPO Amlan Kusum Ghosh and IC of Burdwan Abdul Gaffar reached the spot.
According to the police, they found in the house 59 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or home-made bombs, 55 improvised hand grenades, an undeclared number of gelatine sticks, chemicals, explosives-making literature and pamphlets, etc. They also found partially burnt papers that had Bangla script, some of which mention words and phrases such as “mujahid” and “salaam to our brothers in Chechnya”. Police said the pamphlets also mention “Zawahiri”, the al Qaida leader Ayman Al Zawahiri.
Police have arrested Gulshan Bibi alias Razia Bibi – wife of Shakil Ahmed and Alima Bibi alias Amina – wife of Abdul Hakim Hassan. Both the women have a toddler each.
Investigating agencies have subsequently arrested few more people in connection with this blast in the state and six others in Assam, including two Bangladeshi citizens. They are on the lookout for more people, including prime suspect Kausar Ali.
Shahnawaz Khan alias Chhotu, a local plumber, one of the persons to enter the rented house after the blast.
According to police, Shakil Ahmed entered from Bangladesh seven years ago but had made fake Ids of Barbakpur village under the Karimpur police station of Nadia. Police is yet to locate the details of Swapan Monadal alias Sobhan. The injured Abdul Hakim is from village Deocha under the Muhammad Bazar Police station of Birbhum. Police suspect them to be part of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a banned outfit in the eastern neighbour.
None of the neighbours that TCN talked to said they had ever spoken with the flat residents. The premise was taken on rent only three months ago. Local grocery shopkeeper Mahadev Sahu, barely five steps away from the building, too said none of them visited his shop to buy anything. Another shopkeeper Mohammad Hassan added he had seen men coming on scooter but they wore helmets while women riding pillion always wore a veil, so could not recognize them.
Haji Hassan Chowdhury, a retired from state-owned power department, owns the house. Chowdhury, a local Trinamool Congress leader, was detained for interrogation but the locals vouched for his innocence. A middle-aged Shamoli Das talked of his “good behaviour” and how his son, a doctor, would often attend to poor even when they didn’t have money.
Local grocery shopkeeper Mahadev Sahu and Shamoli Das at Khakhragarh, Burdwan.
Local Madrssa wrongly linked to blast:
Sheikh Abdur Rehman, teacher at ‘Madrasha Dinia Madania’, hardly 20 steps away from the blast site, minced no words while criticizing a section of media that ‘wrongly’ dragged this madrasa into a controversy claiming that some of its students were missing.
While talking about a purported training center in another village – linked with the two women arrested from the blast site – newspapers such as Anandabazar Patrika had used photograph of this madrasa. Madrasha Dinia Madania, running since 1968, is registered under Rabita-E Madaris-e-Islamia Arabia, the umbrella body of religious institutions. “Our madrasa had closed for vacation from October 2 till 17 for Eid ul Adha and hence most students had gone home, incidentally that same morning,” Maulana Rehman told TCN.
Madrasha Dinia Madania at Khakhragarh, Burdwan.
Locals appeared angry at the way their locality and community was being portrayed largely due to insensitive reporting by regional media. In fact, the spot had turned a la “Peepli Live” for this otherwise nondescript locality as several media persons descended for sport reporting.
“They ask us something, we honestly tell them what the situation is, but they deliberately seem to be presenting a construed picture,” many of the residents said, and reiterated, “Their – media persons’ – only aim appeared to negatively present Islam and Muslims and to create a rift between Muslims and non-Muslims, who have otherwise been living peacefully and harmoniously together in the state.”
TCN Special Series: Burdwan Blast and After