Red alert issued with announcing Tk 2m as award: Home minister

Home minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal said a 'red alert' has been issued across the country in an attempt to arrest the two death row convicts who were snatched away from chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court premises in Old Dhaka on Sunday.

He said an award of Tk two million has been announced on providing information to detain them.

The home minister confirmed the matter to Prothom Alo on Sunday evening.

The two are – Moinul Hasan Shamim alias Sifat Samir, from Madhabpur village in Chhatak upazila, Sunamganj and Md Abu Siddique Sohel alias Sakib from Bheteshwar village in Aditmari upazila in Lalmonirhat.

They were awarded death sentence in murder cases filed over the murder of Jagriti Prokashoni’s Foysal Arefin Dipan and blogger Avijit Roy.  

Police said their associates snatched them away from the chief judicial magistrate (CJM) court premises at Ray Shaheb Bazar area in Dhaka on Sunday afternoon.

The chief of detective branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP), additional commissioner Mohammad Harun-or-Rashid, told Prothom Alo that while police were taking them to custody after hearing of a case in the court, their associates snatched them away by throwing spray to the police’s eyes. Later, the militants fled the court riding two motorbikes.