Bengaluru: Jahidul Islam, also known as Kausar, a Bangladeshi national and key figure in the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), has been sentenced to seven years of rigorous imprisonment by an NIA court in Bengaluru. Islam was found guilty of radicalizing Muslim youths, raising funds for terror activities, and being involved in multiple crimes, including dacoity and procurement of ammunition.
In addition to the prison term, Islam was fined ₹57,000. The conviction brings the total number of accused convicted in these cases to 11, according to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Key Findings from NIA Investigations
Islam, the JMB’s India Amir, entered India illegally in 2014 with JMB head Salauddin Salehin after escaping Bangladeshi police custody during the investigation of the 2005 serial blasts in Bangladesh. While in India, he participated in:
- Burdwan Blast (October 2014): A bomb explosion in Khagragarh, West Bengal, killed two people and injured one.
- Bodhgaya Blast (January 2018): Planned and executed attacks in Bihar.
Activities in Bengaluru
Post the Burdwan blast, Islam fled to Bengaluru, where he radicalized and recruited youth from West Bengal and Assam for JMB’s anti-India activities. Along with his associates, Islam carried out four dacoities in 2018 to raise funds for JMB’s operations. The looted money was used to procure ammunition, arrange hideouts, and train recruits for terrorist activities.
This conviction underscores the ongoing efforts of Indian agencies to dismantle terror networks operating in the country.
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