The special NIA court in Kolkata pronounced the quantum of punishment against 19 convicts including four Bangladeshi nationals in the Burdwan Khagragarh blast case on Friday. While four Bangladeshi nationals convicted in the case were awarded 10 years imprisonment, two women Gulshanara Biwi and Alima Biwi have been sentenced to six years rigorous imprisonment and a penalty of Rs 20,000. "Four Bangladeshi nationals have been given maximum punishment by the court under the Foreigners Act. As per the order once their punishment period is over they will be sent back to Bangladesh", Advocate Md Abu Salem said. "One of the convicts from Assam is a student and hence has been convicted with six years of imprisonment", he added. The court had on Wednesday found the 19 accused, including four Bangladeshis and three persons from Assam, guilty of the charges. The NIA had taken 31 people into custody, of which 19 pleaded guilty before the court. According to an NIA statement, those convicted were Sheikh Rahamatullah, Sadiq, Liakot Ali Pramanik Habibur Rahman (all Bangladeshi citizens) Gulsona Bibi, Alima Bibi, Abdul Hakim, Amjad Ali Seikh, Md Sahanur Alom, Shaikul Islam Khan, Md Rejaul Karim, Habibur Rehman, Giyasuddin Munshi, Mofajjul Ali, Abul Kalam, Lal Mohammad, Abdul Wahab, Md Sahidul Islam and Nurul Hoque Mandal. 19 were convicted under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 125 (wages or attempts to wage war against the government of any Asiatic power in alliance or at peace with the government of India), Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, Explosive Substances Act and Arms Act. The Bangladeshi citizens were also convicted under the Foreigners Act. The Burdwan blast of 2014 blew the lid off a flourishing network of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh in West Bengal, especially in the districts of Burdwan, Birbhum and Nadia. On October 2, 2014, when the entire state was immersed in Durga Puja celebrations, an IED explosion at a two-storey house at Khagragarh in Burdwan town killed two persons, it was an accidental blast that exposed the network. NIA took charge of the investigation in 2014 and submitted the first chargesheet in March 2015.
