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Police have arrested three leaders of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and its student wing, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), in connection with the robbery of gold from a passenger’s relative in the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area in Dhaka.
The arrestees are Ripon, president of Airport Thana Chhatra Dal; Al-Amin Shanto, general secretary of the unit; and Abdur Rouf, president of the Airport organisational unit of BNP.
Another accused remains at large.
Police arrested the three in separate raids on Saturday night and Sunday evening, according to Mirza Tarek Beg, deputy commissioner of Uttara Division Police. He said they were arrested based on a case filed by the victim’s brother and that efforts were underway to arrest the other suspects.
According to the case statement, the victim’s elder brother, Kawsar, who lives in Malaysia, sent 200 grams of gold jewellery to Bangladesh on August 28 for his sister’s wedding and family use.
The victim, identified as Suman, said he and his friend Rohan Chowdhury collected the jewellery from a person known to his brother at the airport.
They were carrying 100 grams each and left the airport in a rented Hiace vehicle.
At around 8:05pm, when they reached a road opposite Balaka Bhaban on the Dhaka-Mymensingh Highway, the accused allegedly stopped them, claimed they belonged to the Awami League and Chhatra League, and threatened that they had bombs.
They allegedly assaulted the two men and snatched the 200 grams of gold.
Local people later intervened, prompting the suspects to flee with the jewellery.
A passer-by reportedly recorded part of the incident on a mobile phone.
Police said the investigation and efforts to arrest the remaining suspect are continuing.