Play store
Police have arrested six people, including the prime accused, within 24 hours of the killing of Jubo Dal activist Tarek Hossain Bappi in Sitakunda, Chattogram.
The arrests were made in connection with the fatal shooting of Bappi in a public place. Police also recovered three firearms allegedly used in the murder — an LG gun, a revolver and a pistol.
Chattogram District Police disclosed the information in a press release sent to the media on Sunday (October 18).
The arrestees are Md Arif Hossain, 29, identified as the prime accused; Fakhrul Islam, 32; Abdul Mannan, 28; Md Iftekhar, 35; Ariful Islam Javed, 25; and Nur Ahmad Roni. They are residents of different areas in Sitakunda.
According to police, the attack took place around 10:45pm on Friday (October 16) on a paved road near the Alinagar three-way intersection in Barabkunda Union of Sitakunda.
Bappi was heading towards the spot on a motorcycle with his friend Imon after having dinner when the assailants, who were allegedly lying in wait with firearms and locally made weapons, blocked their way.
The attackers dragged the two men off the motorcycle and beat them. At one point, Arif allegedly pointed a firearm at Bappi while the other suspects attacked him with sharp weapons.
Imon managed to escape, but Bappi was shot in the chest. Another assailant also reportedly fired at him, causing him to collapse on the road.
Hearing the gunshots, a local youth, Tapsir Alam Shawon, rushed to help Bappi. The attackers allegedly shot and wounded him and also injured him with sharp weapons. They then fired several rounds into the air to create panic before fleeing, leaving both men seriously injured.
In its statement, police said Bappi had a longstanding dispute with Arif and his associates over establishing dominance in the area. Bappi and local community leaders had reportedly warned the accused several times against their alleged criminal activities.
Police said the suspects viewed Bappi as an obstacle to their dominance and planned the armed attack.
Following the killing, district police launched a special operation to identify and arrest those involved. By analysing evidence from the crime scene, questioning relevant individuals and conducting successive raids, police arrested all six suspects within 24 hours, according to the statement.
Additional Superintendent of Police (Traffic and Media) Md Russell Ahmed said everyone involved in the killing had been arrested and the weapons allegedly used in the crime had been recovered.
Legal proceedings against the accused are underway, he added.