Top terrors still control Dhaka crime world from abroad

Dhaka’s crime world was once controlled by around 30 notorious top terrors. The blood curdling terror of these criminals somewhat waned after Picchi Hannan was killed in ‘crossfire’. Many were arrested while some fled abroad. But killing and extortion still take place in Dhaka at the behest of these top terrors.

Sources said these top criminals still control Dhaka’s crime world from abroad. These criminals are conducting the crimes some places in tandem with others while disparately in others facing off one another.

Investigation reveals that four of the 30 top criminals of Dhaka died, seven are incarcerated while 17 are staying abroad. Information cannot be gathered about two of them.

23 of these 30 were enlisted by the home ministry as top terrors on 26 December in 2001.

According to information available to law enforcers, at least nine out of 17 criminals are involved with crimes based in Dhaka. Police found out their connection with at least 19 major crimes in Dhaka city in the last two years. They had involvement with many other minor incidents. At least 31 cases, general diary (GD) and complaint were filed over these incidents.

According to information available with intelligence agencies the main target of these criminals is extortion. The top terrors that fled abroad are most active in Motijheel, Shahjahanpur, Paltan, Malibagh, Badda, Mohammadpur, Adabor and Mirpur areas of the city. Some of them have political connections.

They mainly target cable TV and internet connection businesses, real estate businesses, construction, contracting businesses, business establishments and garment factories to collect 'toll'. They also target footpaths, markets, house owners, high officials and drug trade.

Investigation reveals a common modus operandi of extortion of the cohorts of these top terrors. They firstly find a suitable target and then collect different information of the owners or their family members of a given business. Then the lynchpin of the gang or any other members makes calls to the targeted victim from any VoIP number or from any foreign number. They issue death threats to the target for failing to provide toll. If these calls don’t work, then the criminals shoot or explode crude bombs around their targeted persons or their business. The victims in most of the cases don’t even dare to inform the police.

On 12 December last year, criminals shot Mizanur Rahman, son of a businessman named Anisur Rahman (Montu), at Eastern Housing area in Mirpur’s Rupnagar. Three months before the incident, Anisur received a call from a foreign number who identified himself as a ‘top terror’ and sought Tk 5 million as toll.

Anisur told Prothom Alo on 7 May that within hours of shooting his son he received another call seeking a toll. The caller threatened to kill his two sons for failing to pay the toll.

‘Criminals called me again one day while two police officials of Mirpur division were sitting in front of me as they came to investigate the shooting incident. I talked using a speaker on my phone. The caller from the other side told me, “Police are in front of you. They won’t be able to do anything.” This indicates that the criminals were following me. They had employed separate people to follow me.’

Sources said a huge amount of money is still extorted by the name of the top terrors. A lion’s share of the booty goes to the top terrors living abroad.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police’s (DMP) additional commissioner (crime and operations) Kh. Mohid Uddin told Prothom Alo that there are efforts from the police to extradite the criminals staying abroad.

"We hear that some calls are made from abroad identifying themselves as top terrors. But in most cases these calls are made by others who use the name of fugitive top terrors. We take action if any such stray incidents take place.’

Jafar Ahmed alias Manik and Jishan Ahmed are household names in the crime world of Motijheel area. According to police data, Manik is an accused in a case filed over shooting and bombing at Bangabandhu’s residence at Dhanmondi road no 32 on 11 August in 1989. He currently stays in Canada. Jishan is an accused in double murder of police in a Malibagh hotel in 2003. Jishan fled to India in 2005 in face of police drives after the incident. Police have information that Jishan is now staying in Dubai. Interpol issued a ‘red notice’ against these two.

At the beginning of this year, police arrested five criminals from Badda as they were collecting toll in the name of Jishan. Earlier in 2014, Manik's elder brother Faruk Ahmed, Jishan’s associate Abid Hossain alias Saikat and their associates were arrested by police. Earlier in 2009, Kamrul Islam alias Bappi alias Mia Bhai, known as Jishan’s second-in-command was killed in an ‘encounter’.

Manik and Jishan both control Dhaka's underworld and the two have engaged in conflict over establishing supremacy.

Intelligence sources said, Dhaka city south Jubo League’s organising secretary Riazul Haque Khan (Milky) was shot dead in Gulshan on 29 July in 2013. After his death, the Motijheel area’s crime world was in control of Jishan, Jubo League leader Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan and Awami League leader Jahidul Islam (Tipu). The reign of Motijheel underworld came to Jishan and Tipu as Khaled Mahmud Bhuiyan was arrested by Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) on 18 September in 2019. Tipu was shot dead in Shahjahanpur on 24 March in 2022.

Police found Jishan’s involvement with the much discussed murder that was carried out over establishing control of the underworld. Many of Jishan’s cronies were arrested in this incident. Meanwhile Khaled was freed on bail but sources said he is keeping low-key for the time being to get over the legal tangles. Taking the chance of his silence, top criminal Manik has established supremacy in the underworld of Motijheel and Shahjahanpur areas.

Local sources said Jishan has become a major threat to Manik’s rise in the Motijheel area. On the other hand, Tipu’s wife Farhana Islam Dolly, who is also a councilor of reserved seat in Dhaka south city corporation, has become a roadblock for both Manik and Jishan. A section of the fugitive top terrorists assume that Jubo League leader Khalid is backing Farhana. That’s why posters with Farhana, Khalid and Jishan were hung in the Motijheel area. Later a leaflet against Farhana was circulated in the area. Farhana filed two GDs with Shahjahanpur police station over these incidents on 6 December last year and 20 January this year.

Farhana Islam told Prothom Alo, “The top terrors have been constantly threatening me from abroad after killing Tipu. I’m feeling insecure with my family and children.”

Top criminal Shahadat Hossain alias Sadhu became general secretary of undivided Mirpur thana unit of Bangladesh Chhatra League in 2002. Although he was a student leader, Shahadat became the terror of Mirpur. Law enforcers said he killed whoever had come in his way of controlling the underworld and politics. Among the murder committed by him, the killing of Swechchhashebak League leader Monir Uddin was a major one. Shahadat got the death penalty over the murder in 2015. Earlier this criminal fled the country to India after the murder of ward commissioner Saidur Rahman (Newton) on 10 May in 2002.

It has been learnt that Shahadat controls a part of Mirpur’s underworld from aboard. He mainly focuses on controlling the ‘jhoot’ (waste fabric) trade of the garment industry.

Local sources of Mirpur said incarcerated top terrorist Md Abbas Ali alias Killer Abbas and Shahdat are facing off right now over establishing control of the underworld. Associates of Shahadat and Abbas have already gotten embroiled over their share of work.

Two siblings Prakash Kumar Biswas and Bikash Kumar Biswas were enlisted as top criminals.

Bikash was accused in Chhatra League leader Jorip murder, double murder in Agargaon and some other killings and extortion cases. Bikash was arrested by the detective branch in 1997. He, however, swayed control over the underworld of a major part of the city including Mirpur sitting in the jail. He was freed on bail in 2009, after spending 12 long years in jail. He then fled abroad. A police source said Bikash and Prokash have been living in France now.

Law enforcer sources said, extortion is still collected using the name of Bikash in the city’s Shyamoli, Kallyanpur, Gabtoli, Darus Salam, Mirpur, Pallabi and adjacent areas. Bikash even gives the name of his choice before the announcement of committees of the ruling party.

54-year old Nabi Hossain, another criminal who had Interpol red notice against him, has been living abroad. Accused in over 20 cases including murder cases, Nabi fled the country in 2007. Multiple sources said he was spotted in Bangkok, Thailand. 

Detective sources said it was learnt that Nabi’s associates commit various crimes in Mohammadpur, Bosila and Adabar areas.

At least six criminals caught by police and RAB during mugging and extorting said they committed these crimes at the behest of Nabi Hossain.

Several local sources said Nabi mainly collects toll from construction sites. He collects around Tk 15 million from this sector. He also gets a share of the toll collected from Laguna (a type of 'human hauler' vehicle) that ply between Shia Masjid and Shyamoli areas. It has been learnt that Nabi Hossain has good camaraderie with another top criminal Badal alias Killer Badal.

Although top terror Ibrahim Khalil was not so active in the politics of BNP, he became Kafrul thana Jubo Dal’s general secretary using his personal power. He fled to India after being freed on bail in 2016. Detective sources learnt that Ibrahim is now staying in Italy. Locals said Ibrahim still has substantial influence in the Kafrul area. He has good relations with some ruling party leaders of the area.

10 more top criminals who fled the country have been staying aboard. There were some stray incidents of their activities in recent times. Law enforcers said Moshiur Rahman (Kochi), Trimoti Subrata Bain, Imam Hossain alias Freedom Imam and Molla Masud are staying in India; Aminur Rasul Sagar alias Tokai Sagar in the US, Abdul Jabbar (Munna) and Kamrul Hasan alias Choto Hannan are in Germany. No information was available as to which country Arman, Shamim Ahmed alias Aga Shamim and Kamrul Hasan alias Choto Hannan are staying. 

On 12 April, the body of Tanvir Islam alias Joy was recovered from a locked flat in Malaysia. The news of Joy’s death reached his family members days after. He earlier fled to India upon being freed on bail. Interpol issued a red notice against Joy in 2005. Detectives said since then he traveled to Canada, United States, Australia, Thailand and lastly in Malaysia using an Indian passport.

A person who had contact with Joy in Malaysia told Prothom Alo that the top terror Joy was frustrated for the last several years. He became drug addicted and used to lead a reckless life. At one point contracted all sorts of complex ailments. 

He would sometimes express frustration over his life.

Asked about the crimes committed by the top terrors from aboard, DMP’s former commissioner Naim Ahmed told Prothom Alo that initiative should be taken to bring back these top terrors. Also those who work at the behest of these criminals from inside the country should be brought to book.

*This report appeared on the print and online versions of Prothom Alo and has been rewritten in English by Galib Ashraf